I am on the plane and we’ve just started our descent. According to the captain we’ll be landing in 20 minutes.
I think there’s a guy following me on the plane. Or maybe I’m just totally paranoid now. But I’m pretty convinced…is this what happens after just one week in China as a dissenter?
They pulled Kate and I over at Hong Kong immigration. Not Sam. Just us. They said that they had a message from the police to stop us so that they could interview us. After much paperwork and copying our passports and typing information into various computers, they let us go. According to the official, who said he wasn’t allowed to ask any questions, the police no longer wanted the interview. Yeah right. They have all the info they think they need now to keep us out. But they can’t. It’s not that easy.
I’ve been able to read the blog now properly. As it’s not blocked outside of the mainland of the People’s Republic of China. And it’s been amazing to see all of the support we’ve received from people around the world. Thank you to each and every one of you. And to all our critics and dissenters. Please, critique away. It’s not a problem. That’s the beauty of democracy and truly free and open societies - you can express your opinion and - even if you’re against us expressing ours - you won’t get locked up!
I know we did this and got off pretty easy. And while I appreciate that some people think I did something brave, I’m not sure I did. Bravery is standing in front of a tank in Tiananmen Square. Bravery is getting on a stage in Tibet and calling for the return of the Dalai Lama. Bravery is going to Beijing to petition to get compensation for your confiscated farmland to the very same government that probably took it in the first place. All this, with no protection. No foreign passport, government, or official body that will defend you.
What I did, what we did, it was nothing in comparison. But I hope and I pray that somehow we have made a difference in the battle for human rights and freedom in Tibet and in China. The Olympics spotlight is on the Chinese leadership now and they want the world to believe they are open and free. But they are not. They demonstrated this by deporting me at the very moment that the one-year countdown to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games was taking place in Tiananmen square. Paul and I just wanted to attend. To see it for ourselves and to blog about it like one should be able to in any place that truly enjoys freedom.
Some people have said we got what we deserved. Others have suggested we got off to lightly and should act more responsibly next time. I think it is the regime in Beijing - unelected, unaccountable and tyrannical - that should act more responsibly. I think our government, governments around the world, corporations doing business in China and the IOC itself, should act more responsibly. They are the ones who have clear and direct influence over Beijing. They are the ones who could make a huge impact by doing just a little in the way of speaking up for and promoting human rights and democracy.
Until this happens, we will keep doing what we have to do - challenging China’s control over Tibet and working to make the occupation too costly to maintain. One thing is clear in all this Olympics mess, the Chinese government cares what the world thinks. If they didn’t, they wouldn’t spend so much time trying to get us all to like them with slogans like “One World One Dream.” Knowing this, we must push them to change. And if our direct actions are seen as stunts by a few, I trust the vast majority will see them for what they really are, nonviolent expressions of dissent and protest to bring positive social and political change to people living under brutal oppression.
For Tibetans, Uighurs, Southern Mongolians, Taiwanese, Falun Gong, Christians, Catholics, farmers, factory workers, lawyers, doctors, journalists and every other person who lives under fear of persecution by the Chinese Communist Party and their goons, I say, we will never give up.
We stand with you.
On behalf of our wonderful members and supporters around the world,
Lhadon Tethong
Executive Director
Students for a Free Tibet
Thank you for everything you’ve done, and shared with the world in this blog. I admire your work greatly.
To Kate:
You have the right to believe in what ever you like to believe in and express whatever you like to express. But please don’t write things like “China is a crazy place” on the Internet. That kind of statement doesn’t speak highly of your understanding and awareness of equality among nations and among races, which is exactly what SFT fights for.
as a chinese, i have to say, you fucking Lhadon Tethong get out of my mother land china, you such as idiot that breaking law by step your duty canadian feet on my great wall. if you like to fight for freedom, why not fight for iraqi people, by going to white house… you all such a loser
To S. Cai, and SFT
I apologize for my misuse of language, and I completely understand why people may find problem with my previous statement. Having experienced many of the same things as Lhadon and SFT experienced as a student in China, I guess I let my guard down a bit too much. In fact, I would appreciate if my previous message would be removed, because I don’t think readers would understand the context I am writing from.
Thanks, chinese pig, for bringing up the issue of LAW.
1) What law or laws did you, Lhadon and Paul, break in China? Is blogging a crime punishable by immediate arrest and deportation? Or was it trying to meet fellow foreigners on chinese soil? What exactly were the reasons given by the regime representatives?
2) Who exactly in the Chinese Communist regime hierarchy made the decision to have you two arrested and deported?
The Chinese “press” isn’t up to the task of asking their rulers any sensitive questions, but perhaps some foreign correspondents would like to delve into the mysterious workings of the regime in Beijing. Surely someone is up for the challenge.
And finally a question to the chinese pig: Do you consider “laws” written by a formerly communist but increasingly fascist unelected dictatorship to be what the chinese people deserve? Do you realize that these foreign freedom fighters care about your personal freedoms too?
Thanks you Canadian pig, why don’t your country let Quebec free and indepent, why you take natives’ land, and slaughter, almost drive native north American natives to distinct?!
you bomb Mideast womon and children, you call yourself fucking free press? AA JOKE. When you try to take my province from my country, you insult 1.3B Chinese people.
Wow! Lhadon la and all your mates, all of you must be really tired now and definitely should feel achieved for anything you guys have done while in Beijing. You guys sure did a lot. Even the smallest actions carries enough weight to make changes in the world and that I strongly believe. Thank you all once again from the bottom of my heart and it’s very overwhelming & encouraging to say the least. Long live SFT!
To address the first question of user “Pro-Tibetan anti-colonialist”, please refer to 1982 revision of Constitution of People’s Republic of China, Article 4:
Article 4. All nationalities in the People’s Republic of China are equal. The state protects the lawful rights and interests of the minority nationalities and upholds and develops the relationship of equality, unity and mutual assistance among all of China’s nationalities. Discrimination agai nst and oppression of any nationality are prohibited; any acts that undermine the unity of the nationalities or instigate their secession are prohibited. The state helps the areas inhabited by minority nationalities speed up their economic and cultural development in accordance with the peculiarities and needs of the different minority nationalities. Regional autonomy is practised in areas where people of minority nationalities live in compact communities; in these areas organs of self- government are established for the exercise of the right of autonomy. All the national autonomous areas are inalienable parts of the People’s Republic of China. The people of all nationalities have the freedom to use and develop their own spoken and written languages, and to preserve or reform their own ways and customs.
Some people may contend that the Constitution is established by an authoritarian, unelected government and judiciary system, and therefore is not worth abiding to. But please note that ensuring the unity and sovereignty of its land is one of the foremost interests of any nation. The indisputable status quo of Tibet is that it IS a province of PRC.
Also, please don’t confuse the two different issues of human rights and the political status of Tibet (and of other controversy areas such as Xinjiang). While religious, political and press freedom in China indeed await improvement, it doesn’t legitimize actions aimed at secession like what Ms. Tethong and her colleagues were doing in China. I cannot help feeling the naivety when seeing some SFT members use human right abuses as an excuse for pushing Tibetan independence, which even His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama Himself doesn’t want.
there was a poll by IOC before china being elected as the host of 2008. it showed the highest support in IOC history by the ordinary people but not only the government.
For centuries China stood as a leading civilization, outpacing the rest of the world in the arts and sciences,
but past 2 hundreds years , china was beset by civil unrest, major famines, military defeats, and foreign occupation.
one of the reason made tibet problem so complex today was the Anglo-Tibetan Treaty of 1904 by british interfere.
chinese have been separated from world family for so long, people engaged to come back to the world and revive the country. people have very high hope on the 2008 olympic
you such activity of the boycot the olympic for whatever reasons will only crash 1.4 billion chinese hopes and anger most of the people. it will only make things worse.
i wonder if you have been to tibet by youself before you do all this actions, i have first hand information by going there, tibetan
live standard has been significantly raised according to my tibetan friends.
the religion in old tibet before dalai went away was not appropriate. although i dont totaly agree with the ccp’s religion police, but if a religion today can not be mundane. it can not survive long either.
china is under a great transformation to a next stage, the problems in china is very complex. we need more patience.
you can not expect the such big country will have same human right standard as canada. remember, canada has only 2%of chinese.
the government is not as bad as you thought isnt it? you are released without even any accuse even you have already violent the law of separative. the subjective perception of a place or a race is not complete by only influenced by the media but really
live there.
i assume you activity was not a personal show for canadian idol . for sake of tibet and china. please do things before cautious thought.
i am in vancouver too, if you are interested in any subjective discussion. i would like to talk to you.
Dear Liang,
I am very happy to read your open minded message and that you are willing to discuss the tibet issue. We need more discussion between chinese and tibetans without western interference.
Here is a nice book written in 1998 by Wang Lixiong (王力雄) about Tibet. He still lives in Beijing.
Best wishes,
A tibetan friend
Here is the link:
http://gangjanba.googlepages.com/SkyBurial-wang.doc
S. Cai,
“Also, please don’t confuse the two different issues of human rights and the political status of Tibet”
If it is, in fact, true that most people in Tibet want independence, then how can they prevented from agitating for it without violating their human rights?
your ability to find the right words to express what we’re all thinking and inspire our hearts to pump with anticipation, whilst reaching the most sensitive nerves of supporters of the Chinese government, is astounding. Every negative comment makes me smile, as it means they believe you to have the power to change something.
you seem to have been born at the right time in history, to fight when it really matters.
we all stand with you too.
Lhadon you express yourself with such eloquence and measured words. I am sure this blog, together with the action at the Great Wall will inspire and inform many people. Tibet needs people like you. The world does not realise the depth of suffering, the sheer impact of oppression. There is a smokescreen of propaganda surrounding Tibet as thick and as choking as the smog that blights the streets of Beijing. Tibet needs the free, articulate and dedicated voices of those such as yourself to speak up.
Just as the regime of China cannot hide the clouds of pollution hanging over their cities, their attempts to conceal the systematic abuses of basic human rights that they inflict on their own people, and on the people of Tibet will fail. The world knows. The spheres of commerce and of politics may wish to avert their eyes and consume themselves with thoughts of trade and profit, but the facts are undeniable and sourced and repeated across many parties and agencies. The media may often try to ignore China the Oppressor, to instead focus on China the Powerful, but even just eight determined people can offer a reminder, as you guys have shown.
China is a beautiful land with an incredibly rich culture and language and a tumultuous past, with a stoical people that have survived and show great enterprise. However, of course, the same can be said of Tibet. The culture, language, history and people of Tibet stand distinctly to that of China. Tibet is an independent land in every sense except for the one that matters most. China asserts that it maintains that independence in the ‘autonomous’ region. Any Tibetan making their harrowing escape over the Himalayas tells a different story. One of being subordinated by outsiders, discriminated against in their own land and marginalised. A climate of fear, an Orwellian nightmare of internalising one’s anguish and desire to be free, of gagging one’s outrage at the rape of identity. Their grief suppressed by a prohibition upon any form of free expression, the sheer psychological suffering alone of Tibetans is immense. So many leave their homeland if they can. The heart of who they are receding behind them as they tread towards exile and the consolation of free expression. It is a tragedy that they must leave their homeland behind in order to rediscover its culture unimpeded.
To the likes of Ama Adhe and Ngawang Sangdrol, who I am honoured to have met, to all the Tibetans around the world who fight for their homeland, to all the dedicated supporters of diverse nationalities who stand in solidarity. To you Lhadon. You fill my heart with hope and determination. You inspire with your courage and dedication. We can win this struggle.
Never give up.
Terry x
Chinese pig is an idiot for making such a childish statement. This woman is doing a fine job, let her be.
Lhadon, I admire what you are doing greatly, i recently heard something about this on the news. I am not Chinese, if that mattered at all, and I just wanna say “China is crazy” and China should grow up. I wish you all the best, this is a fantastic blog. Keep up the awesome job Lhadon.
I’d like to apologize for my fellow countrymen coming to China for the soul intention of breaking your laws and causing problems. Interfering with the sovereignty of another nation is a serious crime and you are extremely lucky.
After reading in The Province about your little adventure into activism I’m left to wonder, what if?
what if you were Saudi nationals, and came to Granville street with
a big sign saying ‘infidels: choose islamic law or else’… not to mention that you are say, the son of a former aid to osama bin laden…where would you be 3 days later? back in your home country, or in a CSIS holding cell for the next few years? guantanamo? jordan?
You came to a country with the soul intent of breaking their laws and holding an illegal protest during a time that many foreigners diplomats were present. Name any country in the world that wouldn’t have acted the same, or worse?
In closing, as a Canadian I hope that Chinese people do not assume we are all so childish in our beliefs and eager to get arrested for a cause/ to get in the news. Please don’t allow the bottom feeders of our society to give us all a bad name.
Props to you for your courage and bravery in making a bold statement on the Great Wall of China. We need more of this as the Olympics draw nearer, and China will be under more media scrutiny than ever.
v0b0,
Is “Free Tibet” a comparable goal to “infidels: choose islamic law or else”? The obvious difference is that “Free Tibet” calls for Tibetan people to have the choice to become independent or autonomous if they want to, whereas “choose Islamic law or else” is a basically a threat which demands conversion by people who don’t want to do it. The difference is night and day: the volition of the people affected vs. an involuntary conversion.
To boot, “infidel” is an insulting term, but there were no insults against the Chinese in the slogan “One World, One Dream, Free Tibet 2008″.
We need to stop the production of weapons worldwide, the money can be better spent on the planet, and it inhabitants… More understanding, and discussion will go a long way, towards bringing people together. Thank you Lhadon Tethong, for bringing this issue up for discussion. Reading the passionate responses, this topic needs to be a focus of attention, to really understand, what has happened, is happening, and how it can be resolved. If we had real world leaders, injustices, around the globe would stop. I admire the Tibetans for their peaceful approach, “War is not the Answer”
Otto, it was merely a hypothetical that you are taking too literally. Also, “but there were no insults against the Chinese in the slogan ‘One World, One Dream, Free Tibet 2008′.”
I guess you missed this?
“When you try to take my province from my country, you insult 1.3B Chinese people.”
[...] hours, but now are safe and home in the US and Canada. But Tibetans are not yet safe or free. Lhadon writes: I know we did this and got off pretty easy. And while I appreciate that some people think I did [...]
You are such an inspiration. I have been following your work on this blog for the past couple weeks. I am so happy to hear that you guys are all safe now. Your work, this fight, is what keeps our world together.
I’ll never forget waking up to to your voice on morning edition.
Keep fighting! Stay strong!
The Chinese people who have commented here are highly delusional to imagine that Tibet was a part of China before the “peaceful liberation”. I don’t know why the CCP even continue to include the term “peaceful” when it is eye-soaringly evident that it was nothing close to it.
Bod Rangzen!
v0b0: I was trying to see if the hypothetical situation you described is relevant for comparison to this situation. I think it was not.
As for being insulting, there are different degrees of fighting words. If I say to you, “You should give back that TV you took”, you might feel insulted, but it’s still the least insulting way to phrase what I wanted to say. Still, I’ll withdraw the point, since perhaps the Saudi nationals in your example couldn’t think of anything nicer to say than, “infidels”.
Otto:
Is there any poll results from reliable sources indicating that most (Tibetan) people in Tibet want independence from China? I would be very happy to be enlightened on this question.
Emmanuel:
Your harsh statement proves nothing more than your own rudeness and ignorance.
Bhoepa:
I was claiming that Tibet today is undoubtedly a part of China. Whether it belonged to China in the past is a different issue.
I am puzzled. Dalai Lama, your god, said Tibet stays in China; You, child of Dalai Lama, said Beijing occupied Tibet, who shall I believe ? You or your God ? Do you believe in your god ?
‘One World, One Dream, Free Tibet 2008′.” Wouldn’t that make the one world one dream split into at least two world two dreams ? illogical!
You little narrow minded lay , deleting my post huh? you are just not so wide-open minded as you wanted Beijing to be!
You deleted my post because you are afraid of being logical and reasonable, because you can’t answer my question! If you love Dahlai, and Dahlai said Tibet is a part of China, WHY DON’T YOU LISTEN TO HIM!?? You are afraid of being asked such kind of question and choose to be a coward before this question!!!
Ok, you are brave enough to let my post to stay at least till now. To be honest, I don’t like CCP either, but as a Zhongguoren, I hate people outside do anything they can to hurt my country, if they hurt CCP, that’s OK, but hurting my country, cutting flesh and draining blood of her, that’s just not a citizen of her wants to see. Just think about this , a child is joining others to kill his/er own mother, what kind of a devil s/he is?！ I can’t join this child or anyone looks like this child, and all the others, shame on you! shame on you all!! haven’t you eaten flesh and drunk blood enough from China since the mid 1800?! God damn you all to hell!
We can get along together, Han and Tibetans. We can learn from each other and love each other. I love a classmate of mine who is a Tibetan, a girl who is not pretty but charming enough for me. Why do we have to break the blood vessels that has been connecting us for hundreds of years which is long enough to dwarf all the countries created by conquerers from Europe in Americas ? Do you want what’s in Iraq today to be what’s like tomorrow in Zhongguo ? Tibetans and Hans killing each other , bombing each other admist the blood and flesh baking by the amunitions of a “World police”? Do you want that ?
Of course there is no such poll result, S. Cai. How would you expect such a poll to be conducted? By your government? Would you believe the results? Certainly no independent organization is permitted to conduct such a poll, but even if one were, how can anyone be expected to respond honestly on a poll when the threat of violence is being held over their head?
The belief that the majority of Tibetans want independence comes obviously to anyone who meets and interacts with numerous Tibetans, either inside or outside Tibet, as long as they do so as a friend and not as a colonizer and a member of the enemy. As a Chinese I don’t think there’s any way you can experience this for yourself. You’re automatically distrusted and feared as an accomplice to your nation’s crime, just like an American would be distrusted in Iraq. But after spending the past 3 months in Tibet, I never met a single person who was happy with the Chinese occupation, out of the hundreds of Tibetans I met. The word independence was rarely spoken because it’s extremely dangerous to talk about, but the displeasure with the occupation was abundantly clear even among the well-to-do whom I at first expected might be somewhat content.
As for your view that Tibet is “undoubtedly” a part of China, this is exclusively a Chinese view. No one else in the world shares it. Travel or participate in international online communities and it should become abundantly clear that the opposite is the case: everyone knows it’s a ruse.
@S. Cai:
Whether Tibet belonged to China or not in the past is NOT a different issue. The very reason that most Chinese give to justify their occupation of Tibet is their flawed notion that “Tibet was always a part of China”.
Tibet is not a part of China, it is an illegal annex of China.
Logically, there is only one way for Tibet to achieve independence, that is, to get an armed force strong enough to defeat the Chinese own (and also the Indian one). In my humble opinion, this is not entirely likely to happen in near future. Sad but true. For now, it’s best for the Tibetan people to learn to live along with Han Chinese people and other ethnic groups in China. I personally approve of your endeavors in pushing better human rights in Tibet, but I can’t be approving of your dogma of Tibetan independence, for your own good. I know it’s difficult to give up Tibetan nationalism and accept the jungle rule of international politics. But try, my dear Tibetan fellow.
Rich,
Thank you for your reply. I appreciate it.
S.Cai said:
“I personally approve of your endeavors in pushing better human rights in Tibet, but I can’t be approving of your dogma of Tibetan independence, for your own good.”
You chinese always know what is “our own good”, in 1950, you tell us its for our own good to get rid of Dalai Lama and theocracy. Then in the 1950-60’s, you tell our school children its for our own good to help destroy all our temples. Then you tell us it’s for our own good to stop planting barley, so we starve, then you tell us you will develop our country, but you steal all our countries resources, and leave an environmental disaster, then you tell us what we should learn in school and you tell us what we should believe. Then you tell us its for our own good that you fill our country with your army and build army bases all over our country.
We don’t need Chinese to tell us what is for our own good, just like you don’t need Japanese to tell you “what is for your own good”.
WE KNOW WHAT IS FOR OUR OWN GOOD. WHEN YOU LEAVE OUR COUNTRY WE CAN CREATE POLICIES FOR OUR OWN GOOD AND HAVE TIBETAN PEOPLE WHO DECIDE WHAT IS GOOD FOR TIBETANS, NOT CHINESE PEOPLE.
If what you say is really true, that what the Chinese only understand is brutal force and violence as you suggest, then maybe tibetans should follow your suggestion. In today’s globalized and technological world, you don’t need large army to fight a giant.
I sincerely hope we can solve the tibetan issue without going down that road, that is why the Chinese government need to take Dalai Lama seriously and engage in serious dialouge, before it is too late.
User “Freedom”,
You misunderstood me. When I say for your own good, I am referring to the people who are advocating Tibetan independence, not Tibetan people in general. I am kind of neutral on whether it’s rightful for Tibet to gain independence, if possible. The relationship between China and Tibet is vague and leaves much space for the argument of both sides. The CCP indeed has done a lot of bad things in Tibet in the past, which I by no means refuse. Of course, I am also personally sorry for the past. But I have to say that here you made a mistake of confusing CCP with the Chinese people. CCP is not Chinese people, and more and more Chinese people are becoming aware of its political evilness and trying to do things to change it. In this sense, Chinese people and Tibetan people are both victims of the wrong doings of CCP and the failed experiment of coummunism. However, given the political situation of China, Tibet and other related countries as it is today, I would bet you that Tibetan independence movement won’t succeed in any near future. The time and energy of Tibetan independence advocates would be better diverted to other more worthwhile things. I know what I say here probably won’t change the thought of anyone of you, because nationalism is difficult to give up, as I said.
“If what you say is really true, that what the Chinese only understand is brutal force and violence as you suggest, then maybe tibetans should follow your suggestion. In today’s globalized and technological world, you don’t need large army to fight a giant.”
In todays world, it’s impossible for any nation to act like an angel by itself. That’s determined by the complex network of international geopolitics. I can understand your feelings, but we need to look at the problem from more practical perspective.
“You chinese always know what is “our own good”, in 1950, you tell us its for our own good to get rid of Dalai Lama and theocracy. Then in the 1950-60’s, you tell our school children its for our own good to help destroy all our temples. Then you tell us it’s for our own good to stop planting barley, so we starve, then you tell us you will develop our country, but you steal all our countries resources, and leave an environmental disaster, then you tell us what we should learn in school and you tell us what we should believe. Then you tell us its for our own good that you fill our country with your army and build army bases all over our country.”
All what you wrote here, can be applied to the Chinese people as well. I am not advocating expasionism, but what you said in fact is another piece of evidence for the bondage between Han Chinese and Tibetans.
“In today’s globalized and technological world, you don’t need large army to fight a giant. ”
Actually, if you are not strong enough, a giant doesn’t need to fight you to control you. I am just speaking of facts (as I understand) here. Again, sad, but true facts.
S. Cai, I’m offended by your suggestion that Tibetans are cowards controlled without even needing the giant to fight. Just read the recent news from Lithang; 150-200 troops marching through the streets sure sounds like exercising force to me. A similar festival I attended myself a few days later was swarming with soldiers carrying batons that looked like they doubled as tasers. My conclusion after being in Tibet so long is that it’s ripe for the taking; if the army weren’t holding it with an iron fist it would be safely in the hands of Tibetans in no time. And like countless Tibetans I’m ready to do whatever it takes to get to that point.
Wecan: Does your love of your classmate mean that, if she decided that she felt in her heart that her home region should be independent from China, you would be willing to wield a gun against her and demand that she stay? Maybe it doesn’t extend quite that far …
S. Cai,
I don’t have any poll results (and Rich has pointed out the reason why) so I can’t really know the truth for sure. But, I was saying, hypothetically, *if* most people in Tibet want independence, *then* how can you stop them from trying to get it without suppressing their human rights? On the other hand, if most people there do not want independence, what’s the harm in letting some people talk about it? Either way, the issue seems entirely bound-up with human rights, so I can’t agree with your suggestion not to “confuse the two different issues of human rights and the political status of Tibet”.
Regarding your comment, “Logically, there is only one way for Tibet to achieve independence, that is, to get an armed force strong enough to defeat the Chinese own (and also the Indian one)”, I think the reality is more complicated than this. Did India defeat the British military? Did the Phillippines defeat the U.S. militia? Perhaps the best example is in Ireland. Did the Irish get an armed force strong enough to defeat the military of the UK? In a sense, yes … but they sure didn’t fight on British terms.
You guys seem to confuse politics and money for human rights. Look at Hong Kong, a decade ago every july 1 brought millions of protesters to the streets…now that Chinas economy has exploded those numbers are about 10,000-40,000 and people are more apathetic. Taiwan keeps things going because the US gives them weapons and money and the feud fuels the economy. Quebec gets federal monies and uses “independence” as an arm twister to the government by filling their people with nationalism. It’s a trick! it’s nothing more than politicians fooling voters to scare the bigger power, that’s it in most of these cases.
If tibet were rich (it isn’t because of geography not government) your argument is gone.
if every group were allowed to form their own “country” we’d all be living in city states… which seems to be the opposite direction the world is going thankfully.
The true hope of a Free Tibet lies in a democratic China.
User “puzzled”,
To answer your question regarding the discrepancy between 14th Dalai Lama His Holiness and Tibetan independence advocates, most overseas Tibetan independence advocates are born and raised in the Western countries. Compared with Tibetan people in Tibet, they don’t respect and obey Dalai Lama as much. One of the most important motivation of their independence movement is the western values of freedom, human rights to which they’ve been exposed to since birth. In other words, there is a potential conflict between the overseas Tibetan independence movement and Dalai Lama, the traditional authority. This potential conflict is likely to be resolved through the nirvana of the 14th Dalai Lama.
It is in the best interest of both Tibet and China that the Chinese government and the Dalai Lama start direct and candid dialogue. However, Tibetan nationalism, as exemplified by the doctrine and actions of SFT, prevents this from happening. With the presence of Tibetan nationalism in ascending, it is extremely difficult for the Dalai Lama to make any compromise in the negotiation, because those Tibetan nationalist simply demand too much than mutually acceptable to both sides. No compromise, no consensus. That’s a basic rule of political negotiation. That’s the unfortunate dilemma of Dalai Lama.
“Regarding your comment, “Logically, there is only one way for Tibet to achieve independence, that is, to get an armed force strong enough to defeat the Chinese own (and also the Indian one)”, I think the reality is more complicated than this. Did India defeat the British military? Did the Phillippines defeat the U.S. militia? Perhaps the best example is in Ireland. Did the Irish get an armed force strong enough to defeat the military of the UK? In a sense, yes … but they sure didn’t fight on British terms.”
Your words worries me about the possibility of Tibetan independent movements turning into terrorism.
“Your words worries me about the possibility of Tibetan independent movements turning into terrorism.” Yes, any sensible person would worry about that. The obvious solution would be for the Chinese government to negotiate a workable solution with the Dalai Lama now, while he is still alive. Not only is the 14th Dalai Lama the person best positioned to dissuade Tibetans from violent resistance, when he is no longer alive, the inevitable attempt by the PRC to place a compliant child in the Potala Palace as the 15th Dalai Lama is the one thing mostly likely to spark violence in the future. However, the Chinese government has shown no interest at all in having serious negotations.
I’m not sure I can agree with your implication, however, that the Irish war of independence is an example of a liberation movement using terrorism. I’m not an expert on the history, but my understanding is that Michael Collins’ IRA did not attack civilian targets. This would have been unnecessary, since it was quite popular among the public. The indirect result of his tactics, however, was terrorism (by both sides) in the much more divided North. This is itself a sobering fact.