“More importantly, by granting ethnic minorities these autonomous regions, they have the opportunity to maintain their cultural customs” the Author says.
What a lot of nonsense, when he tells us that:
“There are currently six universities, 118 secondary schools, seven intermediate vocational schools and 880 elementary schools, together with a total enrolment of 540,000 students and a participation rate of 96.5 per cent of the school age population. A further 60 per cent of the population received at least nine years of compulsory education with the illiteracy rate among the young people reducing to 15 per cent. ---- by the end of 2005 at least 85 per cent of the local population had gained access to radio and television.”
Tibet’s cultural customs were totally alien to such enlightenment, provision of which to the community would have been a total affront to the traditional elite.

Dear friends,

the old maxim...you can lead a horse to water, but you can't make them drink...applies. Regardless of all the economic statistics you care to quote, at the end of the day if the PRC still won't hear it...they just can't let the Tibetan people go. The Tibetan people will never give up their country and their spirituality and the PRC Motherland will never become a true reality in their minds and hearts.

In reality, for the PRC it's obviously all about the strategic base for miltary reasons in the area and a land grab...the Tibetan people are unfortunately caught up in this and the world will continue to look on and watch the cultural genocide play out like a slow and painful disease.

But bullies don't last forever...and eventually the PRC will secum just as the Soviet Union and other strongholds become eroded with the internal capitalism exposing the younger generations to ever burgeoning materialsm.

Poor fellows all.
I support a boycott of the Olympic Games by Australia for both the sake of Chinese and Tibetan people. Though symbolic, it will mark the time of end of PRC as we know it.

Yes, liberation and true happiness, just like those people slaughtered by machine guns in Tienanamen Square and crushed by the tanks of the PEOPLES' Liberation army outside it.

All the Tibetans seem to want is autonomy within the Han Empire, which is not much of an ask. As for the Uisgurs, aren't they the descendents of a Caucasian, Celtic people who lived there before the Chinese?

China will be wanting to "re-liberate" Vietnam next, and give it universities.

TRUTH is essential. Jieh-Yung Lo, bring balance into your article.

When Power and Money dominate the economic, social and cultural-political rights of people, there is no HOPE.

In our hands is the worlds progress of marginal ethnic populations. .

Chinia's interest in Tibet is politically strategic and economic.

The inter-relationship problem is as a result of the Tibetan people's basic life-quality is being undermined. If China had done more to enhance their life-style indices I am sure they would be the first to hark well-being.

Did you listen to the Prime Minister of Canada last night on SBS Dateline and the 'contract’ discussing the Human Right conditions signed by China in hosting the 'World Games'.

This is a world document listing the Human Right abuses, and a formal signature, legally endorsed.

You would be blind to not include some of this information in your article.

No one denies the improvements of China however panic and mis-reporting, aiming their entire media machine on a 'Blame Game' is shocking, tactfulness diplomacy. This is before we go into the evidence of Chinas role in Sudan or her credit underwriting America's budget in the Iraq war.

To me this is the whole worlds future symbolically resting on the technical, legal matters.

A show of weapons and 400 Tanks to stop a "flame' is not the way, especially when peaceful communication was so clearly available. Violence attracts more violence, hence the cycle.

France, Canada and the EU are at least discussing the situation "OPENLY".

Everyone has a stake in the outcome of how this situation not just governments, athletes and investing shareholders.

I suggest our Prime Minister Rudd do more than constraint rhetoric. The soft call of restraint is past the known circumscription formulas. We need you to refresh, create a new, true variable at the foot of the bridge.

What has the world become, where are we going?

http://www.miacat

1. The use of 'Government' to denote the Hu and thugs running the CCP (running the PRC) is an unwarranted honor. The government of continental China is categorically illegtimate and fake. What happened to our democrat's perjorative, "regime"?
2. In accordance with CCP ideals, they practice thoroughly their duty to tell lies. The Chinese Embassy to Israel issued a lying statement re the Matas Kilgour report on Organ Harvesting in the PRC. Why do our media seriously quote PRC authorities?
3. With the recognition of an oppression-led increase in the standard of living in China, I suppose now China, Cuba, North Korea, and perhaps our author, will admit a return to a white supremacist-led economic recovery for the poor of South Africa, Rhodesia etc.
4. The PRC is a secret state. There is no verification available of their claims. Discussion of their affairs should start from that fact.

"While we witness unfortunate tragic stories from individuals and groups, let us keep in mind all the positive and progressive work the Chinese Government is currently doing to ensure that its ethnic minorities can participate equally and share in China’s economic prosperity."

Unfortunately, those who are old enough remember one European nation who made the same claims in 1938 and 39. It's not a question of magnitude or even culture. It's equally as damning to nations who sit on the sidelines and do nothing.

There is much to admire about the Chinese people and Chinese history but in Tibet it's clearly invasion and murder.