Big Think

Denys Artasevych on March 22, 2008, 4:03 PM

I very much doubt it. This is very similar to what is going on with russia and chechnya, exept the chechnyans are more millitant. As soon as either of these powers alows a province to split off it opens the door for other groups or areas to break away as well. So these governments will keep control at all cost. I doubt that european boycot of the olympics will really sway the chinesse government. But lets hope that it does.

Douglas Liu on March 23, 2008, 11:46 PM

I personally think the independence of Tibet is impossible.Beacause it’s just some people’s(some radical monks) own idea, and most people in Tibet firmly hold the idea that they are citizens of PRC. Those common people you see in the videos doing those bad things (killing, damaging, firing) actually get no idea of independence.The were just some vagrants, they were employed by people who told them to do bad things.The only thing they know is that the more bad things they do, the more money they get.And after monks doing those bad things, every one knows their bad hearts.The monks are not mercyful but cruel, so of cause people will not believe in them any more. And many professionals of Buddhism in Tibet also show their angers, they think it is not actings of monks, but actings of demons, and they were taking advantages of those innocent people. And I also find some newspaper and some websites using untrue photos or vedios taken in other contries but not in Tibet saying chinese policemen were cruel, but in fact, chinese policemen didn’t hurt any person by guns, on the contrary, their lives were threatened by those really bad guys. Just think what you feel when you saw bad guys killing people, setting fire on the street.
ps:my english is not good, so if there could be some misunderstandings, I’m very sorry, and hope you told me.

Jamie Tyroler on March 26, 2008, 4:57 AM

Eager, your English is pretty good. I am curious about where you are from. The coverage in the United States is usually pretty brief and sketchy.

I know that much of the media are reporting things from the political vies – some nations the government controls what is reported. Other media treats news from various political ideology. For example, in the United States there’s a, I think it’s printed weekly, called “The Militant” which is produced by the Socialist Workers’ Party.

Douglas Liu on March 27, 2008, 5:08 AM

Thanks, Jamie. In fact, I’m from China, so I cared much about Tibet. I can understand that some media are one-sided or wrong due to some political reasons, because sometime in China, government also control the media.
But I’m trying to collect some information about this issue, and hope I can conclude them, and share with you.

Jamie Tyroler on March 27, 2008, 11:28 AM

Eager – Here is a taste of other news sources:

BBC (British Broadcasting)

Monks began to protest on the streets of Lhasa earlier this week
Fires have broken out in the Tibetan city of Lhasa amid reports of rioting, as rare street protests led by Buddhist monks appeared to gather pace.
One eyewitness told the BBC how large groups of people were setting fire to cars and shops and destroying anything of Chinese influence.

The US embassy in Beijing said US citizens had reported hearing gunfire.

Rallies have continued all week in what are thought to be the largest protests against Beijing’s rule in 20 years.

Tibet’s spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, released a statement expressing deep concern, saying the protests were a “manifestation of the deep-rooted resentment of the Tibetan people”.

The Dalai Lama, who heads Tibet’s government-in-exile in India, called on the Chinese leadership to stop using force and begin dialogue with the Tibetan people.

He also urged Tibetans not to resort to violence.

“As I have always said, unity and stability under brute force is at best a temporary solution. It is unrealistic to expect unity and stability under such a rule,” the statement said.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7296041.stm

New York Times

Europe and U.S. Press China Over Tibet
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By STEVEN LEE MYERS and KATRIN BENNHOLD
Published: March 27, 2008

WASHINGTON %u2014 European leaders sharpened their tone over Tibet on Wednesday, as President Bush telephoned President Hu Jintao of China and urged a resumption of negotiations with the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader.

Even as Chinese diplomats sought to defend the crackdown on protesters in Tibet, officials said they were considering sending a fact-finding mission to Beijing, signaling an intensification of international concern over the violent repression in the region.

In London, President Nicolas Sarkozy of France told a joint session of the House of Commons and the House of Lords during a state visit that Britain and France shared a responsibility to urge the Chinese leadership to respect human rights and cultural identity.

That goal could only be achieved if there was %u201Ctrue dialogue%u201D between China and the Dalai Lama, he said, a day after hinting that France might boycott the opening ceremonies of the Olympics in Beijing this summer.

French diplomats said they were in talks with other European capitals about dispatching a European Union delegation to China. France, which will take over the European Union%u2019s presidency in July, will seek agreement on the issue during an informal foreign ministers%u2019 meeting at the end of this week, said an official with knowledge of the draft proposal who would only speak on the condition of anonymity before the meeting.

In Washington, the Bush administration made its most extensive remarks on the turmoil after facing criticism that the president%u2019s response had been fairly muted. Mr. Bush has already ruled out an Olympics boycott, which some have called for, indicating that he hoped to maintain a constructive relationship with the Chinese leadership.