neither, which has opened him and his "Middle Way" approach up to criticism from all sides. But what would be the impact if the Dalai Lama were to join the protest? What if he simply started walking back to Tibet after a lifetime in exile? What would the Chinese do while the entire world watched? Would it force change in the conditions on the ground inside Tibet as Aung San Suu Kyi's emergence from house arrest has forced the hand of the Junta in Myanmar? Could the solution to the war in Tibet be as simple as the Dalai Lama willfully returning?
As it stands now in Tibet, there is no legitimate opportunity for an Egyptian "Tahrir Square-style" people-power movement to develop. Tibetans are straight up outnumbered by Han Chinese in the main cities, not to mention the massive number of PLA forces, police, paramilitaries and undercover agents posted throughout the countryside.
outnumbered by Han Chinese in the main cities, not to mention the massive number of PLA forces, police, paramilitaries and undercover agents posted throughout the countryside. As a result, protests tend to last mere minutes before being suppressed. Considering average sentences range from three to seven years for participation it closely equates to about a year per minute of protest. Perhaps self-immolation has been embraced because it takes back power from the Chinese and nullifies the current post-protest abuse that unfolds in secrecy. In such a very public act of disobedience, which is presumed to go viral, the Chinese cannot hide the details of what is happening. It is as if these individual Tibetans are truly getting the last word.