awareness exploded and was matched only by Chinese anxiety over its pre-Olympic image. For the first time in decades Tibetans had reason to believe the world was taking a unified stance against China. Hope had never been so high, but then China pulled off one of the more successful Olympics in history and it seems as if the world lost interest after the Closing Ceremonies triumphantly lit up the Beijing sky.
Just when Tibet needed support the most, the West's affectionate relationship with their cause and culture seemed to once again fall short of a love strong enough to hold China accountable. As a result, the aggressively violent crackdown over the past four years has essentially unfolded in a black hole with not a single world government or entity demanding that the Chinese government allow independent monitors into Tibet. Is it really that surprising Tibetans have resorted to such drastic measures to be heard? Although many of the self-immolators are monks, these are not intended, nor are they viewed by the Tibetan community, as religious acts. Tibetans see them as rally cries for unity and support in a unique and asymmetrical battle for freedom that has lasted nearly sixty years. They see the self-immolators taking the lead in developing a dialogue with the world focused upon a more accurate depiction of life under the Chinese. Many, like Jamphel Yeshi who
self-immolated in New Delhi in March, leave behind a note to clarify the meaning of their action. Mr. Yeshi stated, “The fact that Tibetan people are setting themselves on fire in this 21st century is to let the world know about their suffering, and to tell the world about the denial of basic human rights...” It is hard to wrap your head around these acts, but perhaps one of my students said it best when we discussed Mohammed Bouazizi whose self-immolation was seen as the literal spark that ignited an "Arab Spring". "I guess things have to be pretty unbearable for you to put yourself on fire in protest!"
The Dalai Lama's "Middle Way" approach of "constructive engagement”, diplomacy, conciliation and compromise on such a fundamental issue as national sovereignty is simply not working. While the majority of Tibetans tend to follow the Dalai Lama's lead, there is a tectonic shift underway within the Tibetan Diaspora. The creation of a Tibetan National Congress this past June in Dharamsala, coupled with a 30,000+ member Tibetan Youth Congress, which leads the charge for rangzen (independence), is a clear signal that the people of Tibet will no longer “blindly” follow the Dalai Lama on non-religious matters. While some call for His Holiness to speak out against the self-immolations in an effort to stop them, others claim that this is the time for him to visibly join the field of protest. To date he has done neither, which has opened him and his "Middle Way" approach up to criticism from all sides.