Tibet: The Struggle for Freedom

Tibet, the roof of the world, struggles for freedom against China. Tibet’s spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama fled his homeland in 1959 and lives in exile in India. The Nobel Laureate is noted for his espousal of non-violence. Nevertheless he is accused by the Chinese of being “a wolf in monk’s robes” plotting against Beijing and fomenting rebellion. Demonstrations against China have followed the Olympic torch around the world. The issue of Tibet is in the international spotlight. That’s not where China wants it. Over the decades of Chinese rule there has been a government-sponsored “Go West” campaign to resettle Tibet with ethnic Chinese. The Dalai Lama has called what China is doing in Tibet a form of “cultural genocide” and “demographic aggression.” Chinese policies and tactics are sharpening the Tibetan yearning for liberation.

Interview by David Barsamian.