Is riot necessary?

It must be really hard for Dalai Lama to say that he would consider retreating himself if the insurgents in Tibet insist on the use of violent means. After hearing his speaking with BBC and CNN, I started to think about if riot is the only way for Tibetans to seek independence.

Dalai Lama is a Buddhist monk. According to the principle of Buddhism, killing is not allowed and should be avoided. Therefore, how could he stand out for the riot which will definitely cause lots of casualties? As a religious leader, this is against his religious belief, and as a political leader, it is also against his concerns for the welfare of all Tibetans.

What China has done in Tibet is certainly wrong. The way they dominates that land is truly what Dalai Lama called "a cultural genocide". However, this dominating power is way stronger than the dominated, and it is truly useless to fight against it. Of course, due to the coming Olympic Games, China probably will not dare to start another military suppression like the one happened 20 years ago. But we should all bear in mind that China has never really cared about their human rights records. Giving a riot and using your human body to fight against machine guns is basically committing suicide. Besides, this gives China a very good reason to "destroy all possibilities that will cause any instability in China". Indeed, Tibet now is a part of China and that saying shuts people up. No other country would dare to interfere China's domestic politics.

So, as a spiritual and political leader of Tibet, Dalai Lama would never put his people, even any living being, in such a risky situation. What else can he do besides telling people not to start a riot? If Tibetans still consider Dalai Lama as their leader, they should really think about cooperating with Dalai Lama. In fact, I believe those who participate in the riot and accuse Dalai Lama of not being supportive of Tibet's independence are ignorant and unreasonable. It is these people with their aggressive behaviours that reinforce China's belief that Dalai Lama, as an exile leader, is responsible for any violent disturbance happened in Tibet.

China, in the meantime, should really start the conversation with Dalai Lama. Since he has expressed his point of view on the current situation in Tibet and has urged Tibetans not to show any unreasonable actions, the Chinese government should take this chance to communicate with him so as to seek possible solutions to Tibetan problem. This is a great chance for China to show the international society what a powerful and civilized country they are. Olympic Games is coming, and if China really starts the conversation with Dalai Lama before it, this would add good points to the reputation of China. For a country that is progressing greatly now, winning a good reputation in the international society is definitely positive to the economic development of the country. It can also bring good effects to the tense relationship between China and Taiwan, which is another big problem that waits to be solved in the future.