A Proposed 'Solution' For Tibet

Read Nicholas Kristof's column in the NYT today. He talks of new concessions the Dalai Lama is willing to make, most importantly his willingness to recognize Communist rule in China. He also speculates on the possible outlines of a mutually agreeable settlement of the Tibetan question. Some of the elements of the possible solution that he mentions have the feel of a capitulation by the Tibetan government-in-exile to it. He admits candidly that both sides would flinch at some of the terms he proposes. The final outcome:

The upshot would be a Tibet that remains politically under the control of the Communist Party. It would not be a democracy or a multiparty system, but it would be able to preserve its character indefinitely as a distinctly Tibetan and Buddhist region, both inside and outside the formal Tibet Autonomous Region. And Tibet can be free only if it is first preserved.

For the Chinese, such an agreement would resolve the Tibet question and end an international embarrassment, as well as prevent the rise of protests and terrorism for decades to come.

Take a look.