Why Tibet Matters

Einstein himself said that "politics is more difficult than physics," and after trying to make sense of the weekend's events involving China and Tibet, it doesn't take a genius to understand why. 

The Tibetan tensions with China are nothing new.  Chinese troops first entered Tibet in 1949, and ten years later a failed rebellion led to the Dalai Lama's exile into India.  

Today, while we'll have the occasional "Free Tibet" rally, or hear inflammatory things from the Chinese government regarding the Dalai Lama, most people think of Tibetan Buddhists as peace-loving people.   As you can see from the video, however, the capital city of Lhasa is a far cry from its tranquil reputaiton. 

But it's not just the historical political tensions that concern Chinese leaders.  WIth the Olympics coming soon, this is the prime time for Tibet and others frustrated with the Chinese government to make their move. 

At this point, China's essentially in a no-win situation when it comes to dealing with Tibet.  Is there any possible way the government could appease Tibetan protesters and international critics while maintaining political stability?   

In dealing with the protests and demonstrations aggressively, they appear to be hostile.  Considering the fact that protesters surrounded Chinese embassies and consulates everywhere in cities including Washington, DC,  New York City, London, Brussels, Melbourne . . . there's not much doubt that many members of the international community aren't too happy about the current state of affairs.    

On the other hand, if China ignored the Tibetan situation, events would almost undoubtedly escalate, possibly spreading throughout the nation.  By Sunday Sichuan, Gansu, and Qinghai Provinces, all of which have Tibetan populations, also had their own violent protests.  What would the political or social implications be if they continued to spread?

Tibetan protesters had until midnight Monday to surrender, and while estimates of casualties so far range from tens to hundreds, Tuesday could be a brutal day for Tibet and its surrounding provinces. 

With just two weeks before the Olympic Torch relay is scheduled to go through Tibet, continued politcal unrest is exactly the last thing the government wants to deal with.  Tuesday will be an instrumental day to see how the protests are either inflamed or crushed.