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For the Tibet crisis, there are two focuses. Short term: How to get the CCP to humanely treat the recently arrested. Long term: There are two major ways: independence or Middle Way as advocated by his holiness Dalai Lama.

With independence, the road will be long and hard… economically and politically. There is no guarantee of good life for everyone at the end of the bloody path, even if you achieve it. There are many such examples in the world.

The Middle Way autonomy is easier… especially now the Beijing government is more flexible in political dealings (e.g. Hong Kong, Taiwan). This year, with the current global attention, might be a good time to negotiate a reasonable settlement. (Dalai Lama’s representatives have negotiated with Beijing, on and off, for many years.) If the Tibetans are now suffering under the direct CCP rule, then this new autonomous Tibet will be the fastest relief in the short run. In the long run, a good chance to tap into China economics.
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Fred Won, Seattle, USA

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I have lived/worked in Beijing for four years recently for a corporate assignment. I get the feeling that Beijing government is very paranoid about unrests from many possible sources (minorities, unemployed, farmers, mine workers, etc). But I do get the impression that the current administration are more academic oriented and more open to new ideas. There are genuine desires to update policies to make it better for everyone involved. The adoption of Confucius “harmonious society” is genuine, because communism has lost its legitimacy; they need the ancient teaching to create a peaceful environment to keep China economic engine going. Of course there is always possible discrepancies between design and implementation… or, just simply mistakes in the original plan that need correction.

My view, not that of hardcore separatists, is that Tibetan organizations need to focus on pushing the Middle Way advocated by the holy Dalai Lama.

All the best to the people in Tibet.
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Fred Won, Seattle, USA

"Regarding indians, aborigines etc. You cannot compare what happened many hundred years ago, to something which is happening today. Tibet was a country with own military, currency, stamps and foreign relations in 1950 when it was occupied by Tibet. DONT LOOK TO HISTORY, CHINA DID MANY EVIL THINGS TO OWN PEOPLE IN HISTORY, Look at what you can do today to reduce colonization and suffering and brutal human rights abuses, it doesn't matter if it is Abu Graib, Iraq or Tibet, we should all address them, not hide under the cloak of historical injustice."

By this reasoning, uncivil countries become civil over time. Why then do you crucify China, a country that is leaps and bounds ahead of what its policies were a mere 50 years ago? In Buddhism there is acknowledgment that our human lifetimes are specks in the cosmic scale. Things will get better though it may not be in our lifetimes. I believe this contributes to why the Dalai Lama feels anguished over the actions of the young reactionaries.

August Li, Berkeley, California, United States

If the author or the outside world can exercise a better command of the Chinese language, then people would at least get the following items straight:
1. The said trio are often quoted in Chinese media from time to time, so they are not really little known to anyone from the outside world who follows Chinese news.
2. “Motherland” is not really an accurate English translation of the Chinese term. It should be more like “ancestral land” or “ancestor’s land”.
3. I’ve read Li Dezhu’s original article in Chinese, which is readily available on the web. Nowhere in that article did it mention anything about mass migration of Han Chinese into ethnic areas, or suppression or materialization of ethnic cultures.
4. Li Dezhu, which has recently retired from the post after this year’s national congress, is actually Korean by ethnicity. So please don’t try to smear the Han Chinese into planning to wipe out the cultures of our ethnic minority brothers and sisters.

Rick, Toronto, Canada

Oh by the way Li of Anhui, Britain and England are seperate entities. I believe you are referring to people of Britain in the context of looking down on us, and the actions of the Empire of Great Britain, when referring to our colonial history. Further explanation available at request.

Bob, Sheffield, UK

I disagree with Li of Anhui. I am an overseas Chinese. Though I am not a citizen of China, I love China. However, it is wrong to hurt a race (Tibetan) that is totally different ethnically, culturally and spiritually by clamping the Tibetans in the manner China has done now. Look at India. Like China, India is multiracial and multicultural. See the harmony there. See how Indians have protected Kashmir, Ladakh, Sikkim and other areas from cultural genocide.

Ma Wei Pin
Bangkok, Thailand

Ma Wei Pin, Bangkok, Thailand

Single-sided propaganda, continuing violence and censorship brings China close to fascism. History gives proof that such regimes cannot survive very long, I hope the day of change will come very soon. Almost the whole world would be happy if a chinese Gorbatschow appears.

Janus, Ratzersdorf, Austria

I strongly want to say "I look down up on you,Englishman'!
You hurt us from 1840,now you still hurt our emtions!
If you don't respect us ,also we will not and we must not respect you ,British people

LI, ANHUI, CHINA

Thank you Michael Scheridan for your Article on Trio. We will not let them walk away free for their crimes in Tibet and other places. Wang Lequan, Zhang Qingli and Li Dezhu will be in international criminal court soon like Milosovic. I cannot wait for that moment. Free Tibet!!!

Tashi, Long Island City, NY

Okay, stop giving VISAs to these officials and their co-works when they travel to Europe, and north America. I'm pretty sure it's would be humiliating for those thug officials. Ban their families members too.

Tom, Baltimore, U.S.

"And to those who try to change the topic by reminding of the Spaniards, the Brits, the original population of North America and what not in terms of ethnic cleansing: the big difference imo is that Americans, Spaniards, Brits, Australians no longer do that. But the Chinese still do."

In 100-500 years, Chinese promise they'll stop doing it also, after having killed, looted and then putting a few remaining in the so-called "reserve lands" to run Casinos or "museums" to entertain Western tourists.

Will you be happy then?

Jerry Yang, NYC, NY, USA

These three CCP criminals should be brought to justice for their crimes against humanity. So should Hu Jintao who ruled Tibet during martial law in 1989-90 & who is ultimately responsible for the recent violent crackdown, deaths & illegal arrests.

Let's be clear: China is the invader here in Tibet. They are the murderer of Tibetans & the destroyer of our religion/culture/land. China has no legal or moral authority in Tibet & Tibetans have the right to self-determination & to resist foreign aggression from China. Int' law doesn't prohibit revolution & that's what's going to happen if China continues to repress my fellow Tibetans.

As Wang Lixiong said, Chinese rule in Tibet is colonialism.

Wangchuk, New York, USA

Of course Tibetan called their country "fatherland" because its religion viewed the Land of High Snow (Tibet) as a female demon which was nailed down by strategicallly placed temples. It's great to know history and religion of a group that no one else here seems to know including some so-called "Tibetans".

thrawn, NYC, USA

Wang Lequan is called wang Shicai by local Uyghurs in East Turkistan.
Author is absolutely right indicating the real master of Tibetan suppression.
Wang has banned Uyghur language from Uyghur schools, bringing more Chinese from Mainland China to East Turkistan at the same time forcefully sending 16-21 years old Uyghur girls to Mainland China for one "purpose, Employment.

Chinese are coming to East Turkistan to work, but Uyghur had to go Mainland China to find a work.

He is the Milosovic in East Turkistan and Tibet and should be trialled by international court.

Mehmet Tohti, Toronto, Canada

I totally stand up for our government's action to any insurgency like this.It is absolutely corrent!
Any violence and bloody attack to the innocent should be cracked down. No discussion.
By the way, don't reckon that I was brainwashed by CCP. Yes, CCP is a dictator, who have been always blamed for its dirty and brutal repression on dissidents. However, it is not the reason enough to excuse those rioters and mobs rampaging in Lhasa.

Jett, Ningbo, China

Kudos to The Sunday Times!

@ Wade (Del Rio, USA) The fact that also according to tourists’ statements, groups of young Tibetan hooligans suddenly began attacking innocent Chinese and their properties, was certainly not ignored in the western media! It was not ignored by the Dalai Lama himself either, who called on both sides to stop their violence at once and who threatened to resign. That too was heavily publicised around the globe. But would riots in Texas cause for all independent journalists and every foreign tourist to be quickly expelled from the state? Would riots in Texas cause prisoners of a certain ethnic background to be tortured in their jails while the riots take place out on the streets?

And to those who try to change the topic by reminding of the Spaniards, the Brits, the original population of North America and what not in terms of ethnic cleansing: the big difference imo is that Americans, Spaniards, Brits, Australians no longer do that. But the Chinese still do.

old hand, amsterdam, nl

How can anyone defend the words of the Chinese government? It's sickening and disheartening to know people like that exist and actually take the time to write something about it! Then I say they "are not qualified to be human beings."

Truth will prevail.

Jessica Lee, New York City, USA

Great article, chinese propaganda machine is working overtime to label tibetan protests as riots and criminals, if that is the truth, why dont they let international media and observers into Tibet???

BECAUSE THEY ARE HIDING THE TRUTH!!! It's a shame that people ioutside China believe what the chinese dictatorship regime's propagdanda machine churns out....

http://en.epochtimes.com/news/8-3-22/67912.html

Regarding indians, aborigines etc. You cannot compare what happened many hundred years ago, to something which is happening today. Tibet was a country with own military, currency, stamps and foreign relations in 1950 when it was occupied by Tibet. DONT LOOK TO HISTORY, CHINA DID MANY EVIL THINGS TO OWN PEOPLE IN HISTORY, Look at what you can do today to reduce colonization and suffering and brutal human rights abuses, it doesn't matter if it is Abu Graib, Iraq or Tibet, we should all address them, not hide under the cloak of historical injustice.

Peter Parker, New York,

If factual, it sounds as if some international arrest warrants ought to be in the offing based on charges of ethnic cleansing and genocide.

These individuals are not humans, they are modern-day Nazis.

dave, Phoenix, AZ, USA

I would have thought what has been described as the tactics of Wang in the article were what had happened in the US, Australia, New Zealand, and South America, by the imperialistic British and Spaniards long time ago.
Even the Australian PM admitted to the sorry tactics in the treatment of indigenious people.
The Whites who today flourished have no eyes or concern for the minority Indians who are deprived, poor and in such a miserable state of living.
No one or reporting efforts by the mainstream papers have even tough on the sensitive issues. Blind?
This is the difference between fair and unfair reporting, and it would go un-noticed by the vast majority of the Asian, African and even sensible Whites in the west.
Yap

Yap, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

some people in USA just love the terrorists and their criminal activities

glocho, Los Angeles, CA

America also has its "Tibet Problem"

In American history, historians called the White men's expansion into the West as the "the manifestation of destiny of the American Nation". As a result of the expansion, progress and civilization was brought to/imposed upon the Indians and the territories west of Mississippi River. The foundation of the superpower status that the USA has today was thus established.

After the unification of China in 1950 (less Taiwan), Tibet was integrated back into the fold of China. As a result, Tibet was elevated from a dark middle age feudal serf society to the socialist society of the mid-20th century civilization. I call it "the manifestation of destiny of the multiethnic/multicultural Chinese Nation." It was an inevitable step that China had to take to resume its rightful role in the world that it has had since the beginning of the human history but lost it temporarily after the Opium War in the 17th century.

In America, there was the Rebellion of the Little Big Horn by the Sioux Indians; there was the Watts Riot in the 1960s by a small number of Blacks; and there was the LA Riot in the 1990s by a small number of Blacks and Hispanics.

Now there are these riots by these mobs of the Tibetan extremists and terrorists. But it is safe to say that these riots are extremely unpopular to the 99.999% of the Chinese people (including Tibetan Chinese), just as the LA Riot was unpopular to the most of American people (including Blacks and Hispanics).

* Not the middle age after the renaissance.

John, New York, USA

Regarding to the issue of Tibetan riots, I don’t understand as to why the media seems to be describing those who were attacking the police officers, attacking and killing the innocent civilians, committing arsons, destroying public and private properties as the “good guys”. Here in Texas we say that they (the rioters) were committing criminal felonies or capital crimes.

I have very little sympathy for those who are committing violence and crimes against innocent civilians or stirring troubles against public orders in the names of freedom, independence, or religion, whether they are IRA terrorists, Islamic terrorists, or Tibetan terrorists, or any extremist groups resorting violence against innocent people to vent their grievances.

I am very disappointed at the media’s attitude and behavior in cheerleading and applauding for the horrific violent acts and behaviors by a small number of Tibetan extremists. From my perspective, the media is standing side by side with a bunch of Tibetan extremists and criminal felons.

Wade, Del Rio, USA

Tibetans refer to their country as "fatherland" unlike China.So, we are not part of any "motherland".Our Peaceful Tibet...i love you

tenzin, new york city, united state

It's good to list the names of the individuals inside the Chinese government who carry out its fascist agenda.

Jeff, new york, ny