The Tibetian problem is quite similar to that of Israel/Palestine. Both sides think they’re right, and everyone has an opinion. It is not just a fight between the two governments (or leaders), but a fight between the people. For Tibet, this goes back thousands of years; the Hans vs. non-Hans. It is a social/ethnic conflict; one that is so deep rooted it is almost impossible to change.
To link the Tibetian struggle to the larger issue of human rights is a mistake. They are two very different issues – the former relates to sovereignty control, while the latter relates to humanity. Pushing on the Tibetian plight might cause PRC government to take a step back – in fact, it has already. Foreign media is getting more restricted, not less.
What I thought would have been more helpful for continued progress is for China to host the Olympics without a glitch. Beijing will get comfortable with foreign media running around (and not causing the “damage” they fear They will then be encouraged to do more.
Remember Newton’s third law: for every action force there is an equal and opposite reaction force.
So true.
