TIBET CONUNDRUM

The sudden outbreak of rebellion in Chinese-occupied Tibet has taken the entire world by surprise to say the least. The root cause of the violence appears to be the deep disenchantment of the ethnic Tibetans with the endeavours of the Communist China to change the demographic patterns of the region and the perceived cultural genocide. On its part, China has been thumbing its nose at the international community for quite some time on matters of human rights violations with reckless disregard. It has always sought to shroud the entire Tibetan affairs in a mystery all along blaming Dalai Lama.

Both the international community and the United Nations have become mute spectators to the brazen human rights violations and thus have become convenient puppets in the hands of the Chinese authorities to the acute dismay of the entire world. It is unfortunate that the Chinese can perpetrate international crimes and still get away from it unscathed thanks to the nouveau riche status it has of late acquired and has been using it artfully. China has been drawing strength from its permanent seat in the UN. Its economic clout in the unipolar world is thanks to its behemoth economy which has been bailing it out on and off.

If the reports are to be believed, what has been happening in Lhasa for quite some time is brazen violation of the international covenants of Human Rights. There have been state attempts to change the demographic patterns in Tibet and render the original inhabitants ethnic minority. The control of the business there has passed hands from the locals to the transplanted Chinese. The Tibetan youth of the post-Chinese occupation has been growing exceedingly restive ass a result of this. The influence of the Dalai Lama on the youth who find only violence as the lone mean to reclaim their lost influence in the region and glory has been on the vain. The Chinese authorities on their part underestimated the resentment among the youth and overestimated its strength of brute security forces. Interestingly, the intelligence failure of China in anticipating the trouble in Lhasa must be very disturbing for the Chinese. It is high time the world leaders prevailed upon the Chinese authorities on the need to exercise restraint of the sensitive issue before it snowballs into a conflagration.