I just want to ask a question. How did American found its country, and how did Australian found its country?Compareing to that, there is nothing worth mentioning about Tibet and the debate is over!

Kong, Guangzhou , China

Agree or not, national interest is always over human rights whether in west or east.

Israel, Iraq and Kosavo, and many more are good examples. West doesn't hold higher moral ground when it look at its own backyard.

We will never get a definite answer to who is right and who is wrong on such issues. On issues like Tibet or Taiwan, I can say over 95% of Chinese have unified belief that it's NOT negotiable. Comparing with that, Olympics or Economic boycott are really nothing (and I doubt it's beneficial to any other countries). Even CCP cannot igore the will of Chinese people (I am not talking about Tiben people).

I am sympathy to some Tiben (and monks) who want self-ruling. But I see little hope of the movement.

Tibet to China is more like Indian (Amrican) to US, certainly not Kosovo to Serbia which I believe treated unfairly by west. Most of west government realized it too, and none of them will risk their interest to stand up. Too bad but too true.

HZ, Shanghai, China

Maybe we shout only "Free Tibet" because the Tibetans are the only ones we can see risking even stricter sanctions and punishments to cry out (Over 5 decades of torture and occupation!) for freedom from the Communist Chinese oppressors!

If there are Han Chinese who also feel repressed by their govt. then by all means, STAND UP FOR YOUR FREEDOM and the world will see and hear and shout for you too!

Kindns, Woodbridge, VA

Why you just only shout "Free Tibet", but never ansiwer the question proposed by, like Richard Tiernan. Yes , China ,espercially CPC has many problem , for exemple , speech freedom. It is the problem of all chinese people ,not only tibetean. I also want more speech freedom. Why don't you do sth good for it , but only for tibet split.

Yu, Shanghai, China

Another infringement of human rights by China. But the games go on - what happens afterwards?

Rodney Barker, Lincolnshire, England UK

Surely the posts defending the Chinese and their suppression of Tibet, and religion as a whole throughout China, are as transparent to all readers as they are to me. The Chinese are an old and noble people, but their current government is bullying Tibet, India and Nepal right now and simply cannot claim the high ground on this issue. They really ought to be ashamed of themselves.

P. Lauser, Vancouver, WA, USA

How can the world look to the other side, again! It's happened in the past, and now they all cheerfully head towards this charade of 'harmonious games'. Let The Shames Begin!

If we do not stand up against China, and have economic interests be more important than Human Rights, we will stand to lose all morals and fancy high idealism. Put your money where your mouth is and object to this genocide of the 21st century. Or be lost forever.

Bob A. Schelfhout Aubertijn , Texel Island, The Netherlands

Finery in China, you have been brainwashed by Chinese media! It is well known, globally that the Chinese have systematically taken over the Tibetans land and forced them to follow Chinese rule, denying them their own rights.
Free Tibet! The Buddhist monks are peaceful kind people who have a right to live their lives in their own way. The chinese should respect them and leave them in peace.

Roz Kadir, kingston, surrey

Ahhh the usual China bashing, seems like its pretty popular this year.

Fact of the matter is there is no way China will ever give up Tibet, well not as long as there are American airbases located 100miles from its boarder anyway. The area, being the highest point in the world, is vital to them strategically and what would happen if they lost Tibet? Taiwan and Sichuan next? The PCP simply isn't going to let this happen, anyone who thinks they will is being naive.

As for most the anti-chinese comments on here your hypocracy is breathtaking. Human rights abuses, naked aggression, indiscriminate killing. Isnt this all going on in Afghanistan/Iraq? We in the West havent got a moral leg to stand on. Can someone tell me the difference between Israels treatment of the Palestinians and China's treatment of the Tibetans.

Richard Tiernan, Nottingham,

Jeff Bush's comment seems more "Jeff from Beijing" than from Oxford! His English seems rather fabircated too.

Not another posting from China surely?! :-)

Chris, London, England

Well done India. Do the dirty work for the chinese.

Subramaniam, Paris,

Forest TAN, Ethiopia. Someone has already asked why , if China is such a wonderful, peace-loving, haven of religious freedom, and human rights, you are living in Ethiopia?! So far, I haven't spotted your reply!!
I would like to know what you would say to the 21 Christian pastors in Shandong Province, recently sent to labour camps as the Chinese officials try to gag unregistered (it's the only way to be free of government interference) house churches in the lead-up to the Olympics. The 21 were among 270 leaders detained, in December, in Hedeng District, Linyi City, where they had gathered for training. Sentences ranged from 15 mths to 3 yrs! The rest of the group were fined, before release.
On Feb 18th, 2 female leaders fromThe Chinese House Church Alliance were seized in Luohe, Henan Province, as they awaited a train to Beijing; and 4 Christian ladies were held for 5 days in Zhejiang Province. 100 police stormed a Bible study in Inner Monglia to arrest 41Christians. Freedom?!!

Rev C.B.Ross, Motherwell, Scotland

ZHANG Yong, Hong Kong - Tibet survived very well before China invaded the country. You seem to think that Tibetans benefit from Chinese rule, but how does being killed and beaten benefit them? How does having their land taken away benefit them?
How does not being able to practise their religion benefit them? China should withdraw from Tibet and ap[ologise to the world for their actions!

Jonathan Dolby, Lincoln, UK

How far do you go back to decide who owns a piece of land? The Tibetans had an empire themselves a few centuries ago which included parts of China!
The question is-did the Tibetans invite the Chinese into their country?
If they didn't it was an act of aggression.

There are valuable resources of timber and minerals in Tibet.

The Dalai Lama freely admits that the system before the communist system imported with the chinese invasion was feudal and corrupt and says he is not seeking to restore feudalism but introduce democracy and restore religious freedom.
The UK Free Tibet organisation , formerly known as the Tibet Support Group, was established because Amnesty International had been getting so many reports of human rights abuses in Tibet as to necessitate the setting up of a separate group.

Catherine, London,

It is so tragic and pathetic to read so many fake comments from fake people supporting the Chinese Communist Party position on Tibet. They have obviously recruited "responders" to blogs to pretend that they are independent thinking individuals around the world who trot out the Party line as if it was their own well-formed view. The truth is that the Chinese communist regime has been trying to crush the free-thinking Tibetan Buddhist people into subservience for at least 50 years. They have failed. They are old-fashioned genocidal imperialists. The biggest mistake the Chinese regime has ever made is to invite the outside world in: their system is shallow and immature and the more it is examined the more embarassing it will be to them; they have aped Western materialism and ditched their own historical culture and will be left with nothing to show except another expensive Berlin-style charade. The Tibetan people embody the conscience of the world. Down with the Communists!

len angel, nelson, nz

The Zen philosopher Lin Chi Yi-Sen is supposed to have said, “If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him”... This was to illustrate that meaning that comes from outside of ourselves is not real. That "Buddhahood" in each of us has already been obtained, TRUTH is self evident and we need only recognise it. China seems to take a more fundamental approach to "Killing the Buddha".... Over 1 million Tibetans have lost their lives (more than one sixth of the population) as a direct result of China's "peaceful liberation of Tibet".

Karl, Leamington, UK

As far as I know, there're not many Chinese belief religious. I want to say that Tibetans are Chinese which is proved by history.
As to the crack down, the order of the society is fetal for the increase of the happiness of Tibetans. Of course, as a humanitarian, we all will not to see the chaos of society.

Jeff Bush, Oxford,

Strange. Nothing about any of this in Chinese newspapers. Go on China Daily and see what they are giving their readers. Read the comments pages. Frightening.

CJP, GZ, China

If they wish to come back to Tibet,they should operat under law not in violence.I ture that BEIJING will glad to take a meeting with them.

Finery, CHINA,

i cant stand your crowed!
please dont make decision on china before you visit it !
you gays just want to see a poor and weak china ,and it is wonderful to you!
you are afraid china will catch up with your cuntry,we just work hard to develop our land day and night,maybe many problems still exit,but we will solve them by ourselve step by step ,you ,shut down ,mind your own business!
where are you when america,uk,france, robbed the summer palace?robbed the Forbidden City?

i am angry with the gorvernment sometime...but can you help chinese to better their life?
refuse to buy" made in china"?

bob, beijing, china

Hey everyone. I just have one question: Will you, or your country, support Tibet's economy development? What you guys do is only shouting 'Free Tibet'. Don't be naive, please. Can a nation or country survive by just practising religion? Can Tibetans survive just by worshipping the Dalai Lama? You guys never go to Tibet. You don't know what a normal Tibetan think. They also want to live a better life. Do you understand? If Tibet really goes to indenpent, can it survive without China's economy aids? How? Again, don't be naive on this issue. I am not saying that I support China's policy, but I am saying that going to independent is a naive behaviour. Thanks.

ZHANG Yong, Hong Kong,

This is hideously painful to witness, but these monks are heroes. The world has been waiting a long, long, long, long time for this. An uprising was inevitable: The repression of the Chinese government in Tibet, the environmental and cultural devastation and despoiling -- and the genocide, yes, genocide by the Chinese government when it invaded in the 1950s -- could not go unanswered forever. FREE TIBET! FREE SPEACH! FREEDOM OF RELIGION! FREEDOM OF THOUGHT! FREE TIBET!

A. Bonacker, east hampton, New York

Stories like this make me cry.... money and power over people..

Scott, Chicago, USA

Shame on India! By arresting the peaceful Tibetan refugees, who were within their right to protest against illegal occupation of their country, the Indian leaders have once again proved that they do not have the backbone to stand up against China. The Indian leaders who claims high moral ground on most similar issues on the world stage have exposed to the world their hypocrisy. If Gandhi was alive today, he would have bowed his head in shame.

Mathew Abraham, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom

China PM spokesman Qiangang : "A few monks in Lhasa city have made some disturbances for a couple of days and were trying to sow some unrest. This is a political scheme of the Dalai group, the Dalai group was attempting to separate Tibet from China and ruin the normal, harmonious and peaceful life of Tibetan people.

Thanks to the efforts of the local government and the democratic administration of the temple, the situation in Lhasa has been stabilised, so, the scheme of the Dalai Group is doomed and development of Tibet cannot be blocked by any forces,the Chinese government was determined to safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity and was 'esolute and firm in protecting its national unification

IIndian officials have said that India will never support the Dalai group"

1.3 billion Chinese and Chinese Tibetan ( Not Tibetan indians) are full suporting CCP's policy.

T Yangt, Shenzhen, PRC

Richard:
are you a american, please go back to your home and ask where is all the american indians? american are everywhere but not Indians. Remember this is their holy land. You can not go to other people's house, take everything away, and tell them I am helping you. It is such a joke to say" In USA, Everybody enjoy the freedom to kill native american indians".

Indian will never forgive your ignorance.

T Yangt, Shenzhen, PRC

Please visit The Tibetan Photo Project at http://www.tibetanphotoproject.com
I am The Co-founder of The Tibetan Photo Project

Understanding the modern history of Tibet with China and the very brutal governing by Hu Jintao as the Party Secretary to Tibet on his rise to power speaks volumes about the real nature of China's government as it rises on the world stage as a military and economic power.

No country is doing itself a favor by bowing to China in any dealing it has with China's government. ..

Joe Mickey, Fort Bragg, CA 95437

It seems to me that the governments of the world must take some responsibiity here. The way I view it, is that because other countries want to do business with China (especially now with the impending recession in the US,) they have chosen to close their eyes to the lack of religious freedom and Human Rights in Tibet (and for that matter China as well)
The world should step in and remind China of its citizen's Human Rights, not try to protect it from embarresment. It's a great pity that finance always seems to be the deciding factor in so many of our Government's decisions across the world; that's why we get into so many wars.

Eileen McGlone, Stockport, UK

The United Nation's "International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights" incorporates recognition of the Right of Self-Determination. Obviously this is meant to apply to regions possessing their own cultural, linguistic, and ethnic heritages within an easily defined geographical region and where political separation from a sovereign state would neither be geographically difficult nor detrimental to the economic or political well-being of the remainder. This is certainly the case for Tibet. Therefore, morally and legally, Tibet should be free to choose for itself whether it desires to be a part of China or not regardless of what Beijing considers to comprise "China." The rest of the World should immediately abide Tibet's decision. By no means does investing in local infrastructure, claiming possession of, or killing thousands of civilians confer any modicum of legitimacy of title.

Unfortunately, neither China, nor the U.S., is a signatory to this UN covenant.

Scott, Durham, NC, USA

According to the Olympic Charter "The goal of the Olympic Movement is to contribute to building a peaceful and better world by educating youth through sport practiced without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship solidarity and fair play."
We should not have to use the stage of the Olympics to protest against the Chinese occupation of Tibet when thousands of athletes have worked hard over many years to achieve a place in the 2008 Olympics.
However, if we can put into context the plight of theTibetan people who just require to live a life of "peace, mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship solidarity and fair play", how can this Olympic spirit be carried forward to sincerly carry out this message from China to the rest of the world.

Anne , Bristol, England

Hello, Everybody. I am Forest T an , a buddist ,a CHINESE. I 'd like to share my view about Tibet issue with friend all over the world. Above all, Tibet belonged to China in history. At that time, Head of monks in tibet have to report the situaion to Emperor in beijing at the end of the year in 13 Century. At the beginning of the year, emperor in beijing invite the head of monk to participate in state meeting. sometime, emperor in beijing will inspect tibet severally in a year. Now ,Great change happen in Tibet. People there enjoy their life very much. PLA stationed in Tebet build good relation with local people. they are only agaist the activist who try to use the religon seperate the tibet from her motherlan, China. If you guys are free , we 'd like to invite you to visit the tibet. You may change the view after return from tibet.

Forest Tan, ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia

Forest Tan:
I lived in China. I've been to Tibet. The first question I asked when I got to Lhasa is : where is all the Tibetan? Chinese are everywhere but not Tibetan. Remember this is their holy city. You can’t go to other people's house, take everything away, and tell them I am helping you. It is such a joke to say" In China, Everybody enjoy the religious freedom".
Tibetan will forgive your ignorance.

Richard, San Francisco, USA

Sad story. No freedom, no witnesses and the Chinese wish of not seeing any kind of protest during the Olimpic games. I'm happy for not being a Tibetan in Tibet.

joao , brussels, belgium

Hello Monks and Friends May all Freedom be yours and mine together someday very soon To the writers, in particular those who ask me to hold my tounge with the suggestion that I may not be Chinese or well read, I say Freedom Knows No Boundaries and War Knows No End. Freedom is not something which other men have any right by God or Nature to curtail. As to nature, many a beast in the wild will fight to the death to be free from a cage or a trap. As to God, No one who sincerely believes their God is merciful would prevent another from pursuing freedoms path. As to the Olympics: Freedom has nothing to do with your Olympic Games, but your government has decided to invite the world to your country so that economic exploitation can continue to prop up the wealth of a few at the expense of millions. The cameras of the world will soon be focused on the your country. Do you really believe that we would sacrifice our freedom for your games? Freedom like love has no bounds.

Jeffrey, Taos, New Mexico

Forest Tan,

What are YOU doing in Africa? "Building good life", eh?

Maybe the Thibetans (who have "belonged" to Mongolia as well as China, and of course had their own little empire, do not want your profit slave "good life". They had their own "good life".

Nothing to do with religion, either!!

Leave them to be Thibetans!.

Just like we leave you to be Chinese.

.

Brompeter, Frankfurt, Germany

Can't see the Forest (Tan) for the trees can you? The Chinese Communist Party decides who the re-incarnated Panchen Lama is and arrests the real Panchen....this is what, religeous freedom with Chinese characteristics?

That the CCP decides who is a reincarnate shows that there is no communism in China - it is only a thug police state.

Fang Ce, Beijing,

It sounds to me as if Forest Tann is an employee of the state making all these pro-Chinese remarks and suggesting that Tibet is doing so well unde Chinese rule. Perhaps the good people of Selma Alabama also felt this way when thousands of Americans lived very oppressed lives under the watchful eyes of the decendants of slave owners and masters. Unfortunately, we believe what we want to beleive, and having never known freedom find it easy to accept the bonds of repression. If China allowed religious freedom, you would not have this problem. You point your finger at the messenger, a long standing tradition in the East and West, and the those who seek liberty will never be silenced. The governments actions only heighten the situation and cause alarm in the rest of the world. If China wants business as usual, they should ignore the messenger and carry on with the task of building the platform for the Olympic games, but alas, they can't stand to hear the truth spoken by Tibet.

Jeffrey, Taos, New Mexico

this is ridiculous! Everytimes I hear Ireland I thought that's another country, tho some people add 'North' in front of it, and I always forget they r UKers too....

edin, Edinburgh, UK

Hello Forest Tan,
The Chinese government has "spoiled the peace" in Tibet. Had Tibet ever threatened China's borders? Killed Chinese citizens in their homes or in their temples? China's naked aggression and militarization of a peaceful nation is clear to all value honesty over propaganda.

Brian Williams, Burlington, Vermont USA

The international governments and particularly the UK have a huge amount of guilt over the Tibetan issue. The UK had multiple approaches from the Tibetans during the illegal invasion and occupation by China, yet did nothing while their homeland was taken from them. It took Ireland and Malaysia to raise the issue in the UN, where there was an official reprimand handed to China over human rights abuses in Tibet. Don't be fooled into thinking this is an internal affair.

This coming Olympics gives us all a chance to at least partly redress the past failings by raising the issue again and supporting the Tibetans in their quest to overthrow their occupiers, and an even more significant chance to educate the Chinese such as Forest Tan above, who are still ignorant of the true nature of the illegal Chinese occupation of Tibet.

Phil, London, UK

As a Chiinese, I want to give suggestion to westners. Before your make remarks, Do you have ground/ I s your view based on Media report . Have you been to China / In China, Everybody enjoy the religous freedom. For tibet issue, Religous leader try to seperate the tebet in the Name of Religion, That's it ,It has nothing to do with Bejing Olympic.

Forest TAN, ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia

It is shame that democratic governments support governments who restrict freedom of expression and forcefully control and rule over ethnics groups who do not want their rule or control.

If economic intensive is the only thing that attract us to CHINA then it must be the only thing that connects CHINA to the rest of world. We should stop working with countries like this even if means our economy suffers a little because at least then we know that our products came from countries where the citizens are mostly free and have freedom of expression.

Unless there are meaningful reform and free and autonomous countries for ethnics groups around the edges of CHINA who want to rule for themselves (TIBET, XINJIANG), there should not be any participation of CHINESE athletes or CHINA hosting any global sporting, economic, or political events.

I wonder how many capitalist would like to live under the CHINESE governmental system, from where they enjoy many financial advantages?

Naleen, Northern California,

Hello, Friends.Tibet belonged to China in History.Great changes happen there. If you guys are free , I 'd like invite all of you to Tibet. you can feel the Change,life in Tibet. Most of people there enjoy there life. They work together with us to buid a good life. I think you will change your idea about Chinese government. some seperatist try to use the religion to spoil the peace here

Forest Tan, ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia

Tibetan monks are doing the West's job - raining on China's Olympic Parade big time
Pity we "need" all that cheap stuff, or we could consign China to the "human rights failure" bin.

Antonio, Estepona,

I think all natoins who respect liberty and human rights should withdraw from the 2008 Olympics, so chins really feels the heat and does some real reforming. Tough, guys, that's the price of membership in the International Club. Or should be.

John P. Wagner, Sunnyvale, USA California

Where did you get the idea that the demonstrators' demand is "greater religious freedom"? All of the eyewitness testimony indicates that the protesters have called, as always, for nothing less than political independence and complete Chinese withdrawal from Tibet.

If all people wanted was 'a little bit more' religious freedom, why would they take action that utterly shuts down all the religious institutions? The stakes are much higher. Both Tibetans and the world audience deserve to have the true story told.

Rich Felker, Charlottesvile, VA, USA

The U.S. should withdraw from the China olympics.

Al Schwitalla, Clayton, CA, US.A.

The global denial of justice for the Tibetan people, for sake of Chinese politics, is one of the greatest crimes perpetrated. The voice of Tibet and her people are suffocated and strangled while the world looks the other way; much like past extermination of nations while the world watched. We should be helping the Tibetan people every way possible to recover their honor and freedom.

Peter Landy, Schenectady, NY

Monks don't do guns

James , Seattle, USA

All it would take would be one monk setting himself ablaze at the Olympics in China to remind the world of what China really stands for.

theantibush, honolulu, Hawai'i

And the States is woefully silent...as we are in the disaster that is unfolding in Gaza. It shames me to no end. I will continue to boycott all Chinese products and will encourage others to do so as well. Free Tibet!!!

Penny, Missouri City , Texas

So what if China is embarassed by protests! They well deserve to be embarassed! I thought India was a democracy. Shame on China! and more shame on India!

Sheila Richardson, New York City, USA

China, like Saudi Arabia, enjoy immunity from meanigful censure .

The western governments are so desperate to have access to the markets of China that they will more or less permit any abuse of human rights by the Chinese Authorities.

Yesterday it was reported that Greek police had dispersed a crowd of Tibetan athletes who were attempting to light a flame. This, like the protest that was broken up in India, would probably have caused embarrassment to the Chinese government worth billions of dollars.

I'm sick to the heart of our spineless governments.

Christopher Kimberley, New Quay, Ceredigion

"Free Tibet"
All the western world looked away when China seized Tibet almost 50 years ago.
Now, with the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, is time for the western world to remind China of its human rights abuses.

Kelly, Toronto , Ontario Canada

My prayers are with the monks. Their courage is inspiring.

john shermer, mckinleyville, ca usa

just dont watch the olympics and dont buy chinese goods and the chinese govt. will start to understand that brutal repression is not the answer either in china or other countries as tibet or sudan

mike hampton, pittsburgh, pa