Opinion

Tibet -- China's Gaza Strip

By Jürgen Kremb

Part 2: Pressure for an Olympic Boycott Will Only Grow

The problem, though, is that China has to understand that in a globalized world, there is no such thing as problems that are purely "domestic." It makes no sense for Beijing to clutch to a concept of sovereignty straight out of the 19th century. Lhasa long ago became China's Gaza Strip. The Dalai Lama no longer has complete authority on Tibetan streets and in Tibetan monasteries. It is the Tibetan Youth Congress that sets the tone these days.

This is a radical group of exiled Tibetans that has withheld support for the Dalai Lama for years. They say his peaceful path has failed to secure freedom for their homeland and that Tibetans must follow the path of other liberation movements, like the Palestinians or the East Timorese.

But it wasn't the Dalai Lama who fostered these angry youth, but rather the reluctance of China to seek out a political solution for Tibet. Like the children of Gaza, they are the product of social exclusion and cultural oppression. They won't allow themselves to be bossed around by the Chinese authorities or any other. China had been simply waiting for the Dalai Lama to die before dealing with the Tibet problem; the Tibet Youth Congress dooms that approach to failure.

Self-Immolation at the Olympics?

In short, the current unrest is nowhere close to dissipating. The Lhasa fire was first stoked by a Tibetan protest march from India to the Chinese border. It is now releasing long-festering frustration in Tibet itself. And a brutal deployment of Chinese security forces will not be enough to prevent an Olympic-sized PR disaster. What will happen if a monk self-immolates himself in the Olympic Village during the 2008 Games? Such dramatic protests are also part of the playbook used by Tibet's young radicals.

More than that, the pressure to boycott the Chinese Olympics will only grow in the coming weeks -- which could result in an image disaster for China. And for everyone participating.

Beijing has the means to mitigate the damage in its hands. In order to prevent leaving the Beijing 2008 Olympics with an aftertaste comparable to that of Berlin in 1936, Chinese Communist Party chief Hu Jintao will have to do something he is not used to doing. Rather than showing brute force, he must pursue de-escalation in Tibet. Rather than short-sighted propaganda, he must engage in true dialogue. The argument that sports have nothing to do with politics will hardly suffice.

For starters, if China moves forward to put Lhasa rioters on trial, then Beijing should allow international observers to view the proceedings. A transparent public investigation would also be helpful. If soldiers shot at protesting civilians or the demonstrators lynched Chinese settlers, both should be grounds for prosecution and punishment.

And if China truly is a peaceful power, then why not enter into a true dialogue with the Tibetan exile government in order to resolve their problems? Such negotiations would have to take place outside of China on neutral ground. Not in Washington or Moscow -- but in a place like Jakarta or Stockholm, or Geneva, home of the Olympic Committee.

Such a move would clearly demonstrate China's readiness for a new era of political enlightenment. After all, that is exactly what Beijing wants to show the world by hosting the 2008 Olympics. And why not invite the Dalai Lama to the Olympics as a guest of honor? Were China to do that, then the country would truly have the world's respect.