What do you think, should there be a Free Tibet Olympics, could we use the Olympics as a tool to force China to free Tibet, do you think that atheletes should boycott the Chinese olympics, perhaps even participate somewhere else in protest.
I'm curious as to why freeing Tibet is a higher priority than any of the numerous other human rights issues China is involved in? There is an irony that we will go to war to (sic) free the Iraqis from Saddam, but we condone and encourage the Chinese regime.
Well because its a measurable goal, where as having the chinese goverment say we promise to be nicer to people is worth about as much as a promise from a republican president, and yes it is ironic, i stated in another post that if tibet had oil we would be straight in there. But yes I agree, better human rights should also be on the cards, for people both in Tibet and China.
Maybe we could ask the Chinese government to stop selling their own people as live organ donors to rich Japanese businessmen. Nah. Then we'd have to pay more at Walmart. One man's suffering, is another man's discount pricing.
Or you could just boycott chinese products & businesses. Cmon, im sure we can think of some creative ways of making a difference. How about asking all the medal winners to donate the medals to the Dali lama?
Thats actually a good idea. Anyone got an idea if they have anything over there at the moment? I wonder how hard that would be to do. I have a fair idea this has been tried by the Chinese already, what can we bring to the table?
I hated it when Carter did it in 1980, and I would hate it now. In fact, I can never forgive him for it. Athletes train their entire lives for the chance to shine at this one event, and should not be used as a ridiculous tool for state diplomacy. That said, as a (relatively backsliding zen) buddhist, and one with many friends in the Tibetan community, what has taken place in Tibet is an abomination. And such abominations occur across the globe. Say, here, with the indigenous community. There are other ways to make an opinion known, but unfortunately precious little anyone can do, short of war. States do what they will, in whatever they way deem in their best interest.
I feel that the Dalai Lama stance of an autonomy Tibet seemed to be a great compromise and also a viable alternative to such violence, it is a pity the Chinese refused to negotiate with him. War is not quite possible given the iron grip of the Chinese, their paramilitary and police forces made it near impossible to achieve independence for Tibet through warfare.
That's sad and funny R. Hurt their feelings. I wonder how the Tibetans feel? @ darksat, i imagine releasing comic books in chinese about unions could start affecting an underground change. The great think about communism is that you don't have any rights (including free thought), so the government will step in and stop any public or mainstream action quickly. Re: the Olympics, I hate to say this, but the dreams and aspirations of the athletes placed higher than human suffering is exactly what is wrong with us today. Sure two wrongs don't make a right, but at one point, people have to take a stand. You would hope the athletes would take a stand and use every opportunity at the Olympics to lobby for Human Rights. It would be a far greater accomplishment than winning a Gold medal.
For all practical reasons, I would feel that the world should not encourage an independent Tibet, which I don't think China will ever accept but try to help Dalal Lama in his negotiations with China for an autonomous Tibet. I feel that supporting any boycott of the Olympics may well hinder any prospects of talks on Tibet. China is a country extremely sensitive to loss of face, I don't think they will negotiate when being threatened, it would be counter productive. Paying lip services is also useless if there is no power behind it to support, it may just encourage Tibet separatists but with no hope of giving them any help. The end results may be more killings and more oppression.
What I am saying wisdom is that outside war and conquest, no nation can make another nation do something. It can try - ranging from a PR campaign before the global community to economic pressures - but a given nation will pursue its interest, regardless. Once that interest deems another course is necessary, things change. But Carter's 1980 attempt, and a like attempt here, only proves the inability to do a damn thing. It's a pity China took over Tibet at all. I am a friend to many Lamas in the U.S. - my wife and I were married in a Tibetan buddhist ceremony - and there is no good here in the Chinese occupation. But then, every modern nation's hands drip with blood. A tragedy of our species. To Guerilla's support of an Olympic boycott, I cannot agree. Guerilla, I have to say, I am also surprised, here. You contacted me via PM, we exchanged some thoughts, and we both want to move on, which I am very glad for as well. In that vein, I don't understand your position here. There is nothing saying each individual member of those games doesn't have a list of things they do in the course of their daily lives to better aid their fellow human beings. But to use the Olympics as a tool? These athletes are people, and they suffer - a lifetime - when the dream they have pursued all their life is swept out from under them at the final moment. In 1980, they didn't choose it - it was forced upon them by a state decision. To bring it home, for myself, swimming close to 25,000 meters daily (although I wasn't yet ready for the games), and with a brother who missed the '68 games by 0.04 seconds, yes, it is close to my heart. As it was for the many who got screwed by Carter's decision. I honestly don't understand how this squares with a libertarian ideal.
I think you all raise excellent points. An Autonomous Tibet is a much more practical aim, and may be a lot more socially acceptable to the Chinese Government, it could even be a stepping stone to a free tibet at some stage in the future. A PR campaign both inside and outside china, delivered via electronic means which people can then print off and distribute would be a good way to go about influencing a change, and at the end of the day its really people on the ground who you want to influence, and its these people who provide the government with all its so called power. Tying in Chinese Human Rights, Tibets Autonomy and the Olympics in one campaign would be the best way to go about it. Im actually serious about this, delivering content to people in china is no problem, I have a small army of hackers at my disposal so the chinese firewall is no prob, enough mailing tools to email email half of China and enough marketing experience to make this work. Lets brainstorm on this a bit more and see what we come up with.
Yeap it is a pity and it is too late to reverse the situation now. Sad to see the Tibetans lost their independence. But at that time, it was every nation for themselves and Tibet had not much strategic value for the foreign powers to intervene. Sad fact of life, just praying and hoping that as time passed, as China becomes more prosperous, they may be more democratic and pass some of these benefits to Tibet.
Hey, its never to late. There has not been one country in existance that has mannaged to occupy another country for a long time without the popular support of the people on the ground.
No, there isn't; Tibet won't be too, by then, you will find more Chinese migrants in Tibet and that Tibetans would be a minority in their own homeland. I suspect it is already happening. In essence, the Chinese occupied and assimilate the country into theirs. Essentially what is Tibet will no longer be Tibet.
Talk about Chinese Human Rights, there are a lot of changes made. but you guy need to understand, it is really hard for China to change. Their population is too big and most of them are uneducated. If things go too fast, it is really easy to lose control. And
True, China is not an easy country to change, that was why the former paramount leader Deng told the drastic steps of quelling the demands for democracy at the Tianan Square. That was quite a big blot ink on his otherwise fascinating career.