Dalai Lama hints at significant change of strategy for Tibet vs China - 31-Oct-2008 - Generational Dynamics

Generational Dynamics Web Log for 31-Oct-2008

Dalai Lama hints at significant change of strategy for Tibet vs China

A special strategy meeting for Tibetan exiles will occur in mid-November.

This little-reported story that may have important significance in a few weeks.

The Dalai Lama is changing his position from one of preaching conciliation, compromise and tolerance with China into something that's a lot more confrontational.

The Tibetan spiritual leader shocked observers last weekend for his unusually blunt statement.

On Saturday, the Dalai Lama told a public function in his exile location, Dharmsala, India, that he has "been sincerely pursuing the middle way approach in dealing with China for a long time now but there hasn't been any positive response from the Chinese side." He added: "As far as I'm concerned I have given up."

In an interview on Thursday with the BBC, he made the following bitter statement:

Dalai Lama describes his faith in China's government. <font face=Arial size=-2>(Source: BBC)</font>

Dalai Lama describes his faith in China's government. (Source: BBC)

"My faith in China's government has become tiny, tiny, tiny.

Our main aim has been to improve conditions inside Tibet. That has not happened. Now the suppression is much, much increased - very, very tight control, something like military occupation - like that. Sometimes I feel like the Tibetan people are passing through a death sentence - something like that."

He's called an extraordinary mid-November meeting of Tibetan exile leaders to discuss future strategy. One possible outcome, though far from certain, would be a call for full Tibetan independence.

Ironically, this call for independence would do little to stir up the Tibetans, since the Tibetans are in a generational Unraveling era. The most you could expect from the Tibetans would be a few demonstrations, and perhaps some scattered violence.

But the Chinese have the most nationalistic, paranoid government on earth. It's quite possible that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) will take this change of strategy as a major threat, and will overreact.

The Chinese DID overreact last March, with an extremely violent crackdown on demonstrating Tibetan monks. Worldwide attitudes towards the Chinese became increasing angry and xenophobic until May, when a massive earthquake in Sichuan province created a period of good will that lasted through the Olympics game in August.

It became clear in March that the fault line between Han Chinese and Tibetans is very deep and full of hatred. This hatred exploded in March, and the Dalai Lama's announced intention to change strategy raises the possibility that it will explode again. (31-Oct-2008) Permanent Link
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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 31-Oct-2008 Dalai Lama hints at significant change of strategy for Tibet vs China

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Generational Dynamics Web Log for 31-Oct-2008
Dalai Lama hints at significant change of strategy for Tibet vs China