Tibet is Burning

Communist China reports that 10 protestors have been killed, meanwhile activists groups report the number to closer to 100 killed. Knowing the oppressive media that exists in China, I am more inclined to believe the higher number. Could this be another “Tiananmen Square”?

The country of Tibet has been under communist China’s rule for over 50 years, stuck behind another iron curtain. China has as much claim to this territory as the Russians had to any one of the Soviet States incorporated into the USSR… zero.

Tibet has existed as an autonomous kingdom, led by the spiritual leaders believed to be the reincarnation of the previous. This is the Dalai Lama… the ruler of Tibet, exiled since 1959 to northern India. A leader that, when he dies, China has claimed that the government will be selecting the successor… hardly who I would want appointing my spiritual leader… but an effective way to control the territory once and for all.

The people of Tibet struggle for nothing more than the founders of America struggled for… the right to exist in peace, and to freely practice their religion. China’s iron fist has come down time and again against students and monks, often leading to massacres of peaceful protestors… blatant human rights violations.

But the protests of the last few days have something more than the protests of the past. They have traction… worldwide traction. Chinese embassies around the world are under siege by protestors who favor a free Tibet. And China, the host of the 2008 Olympics, is under a microscope as we move closer to the opening ceremonies. (We all know that China is one of the worst offenders when it comes to Human Rights Violations.) But the struggle needs one finishing touch to turn into a full scale revolution: The blessing of the Dalai Lama. The Tibetan people worldwide are pushing for his call to arms, as finding the middle ground has led to little more than murder in the past.

What are my thoughts?

I believe that there is one just cause worth fighting and dying in this world we live: freedom.

Fellow blogger KTracy.com has suggested that the struggle of the Tibetan protestors is little more than the terror groups in Iraq fighting the US soldiers… I would caution him that the people of Tibet fight for freedom, where the terror groups in Iraq fight for fascism.

I support the struggle of the people of Tibet. I believe that all men should be free from living in fear and repression. As a believer in liberty, personal property rights, and freedom of religion, I have little patience for repressive regimes like that of the Communist Republic of China.

If it were up to me, as we move forward with this slaughter and manhunt for remaining protestors, I would issue an immediate statement condemning the reaction of the Chinese government, followed by a threat of sanctions of all Chinese products. I know this would send a shockwave through our economy, but that is just a sign of our dependence on foreign goods for sustaining our way of life. As such, we would need to rethink how we conduct ourselves, how we live, and what we need to survive and enjoy life from within our own borders.

Am I proposing, then, the death of a free market in America by not allowing procurement from foreign countries? I would argue that such a global market is harmful for the very reason stated above, and restated here: we become too dependant on foreign goods, and that leaves us with no leverage as the moral authority in issues of freedom and liberty.

So I suggest calling your legislator, calling the local Chinese embassy, or joining a protest speaking out against the atrocities of the Chinese government in Tibet. Our voices can be a part of the roar!