There was an armed struggle in Tibet in the late 1950s. The point is it is the Tibetans who have to decide. Historically, if a community is oppressed, then some groups within the community will take violence as recourse. If the Chinese are smart they should try to allow peaceful dissent and address the genuine concerns of Tibetans.

It is not just the Tibetans China has to look at. There is the Uighur community that lives in Xinjiang close to central Asia. China is using anti-terrorism as an excuse.

China should be sensitive to the ethnic minorities and try to address their basic concerns. When they are non-violently asking for their rights and it is not heard, the chances of it exploding into violence are more. Now, they themselves are saying that there is an armed struggle going on and allege that the Dalai Lama is going to send suicide bombers.

Whether they are using this as an excuse will be known only when independent officials access the situation. If they are indeed using this as an excuse, the more they crackdown, the more they alienate the people.

India should also look at the situation and think. A Tibetan armed struggle will not bode well for it at all. It will create a problem for India as well.

What is the Dalai Lama's role? Does he have a hand in inciting the unrest, as the Chinese allege?

The point is what he is doing is preaching non-violence and seeking a political solution. He is reaching out.

I don't know if he has any hand in inciting the unrest. Again everything China says, it should provide evidence... that is what it boils down to. What is happening is filtered by the Chinese and they should begin to solve the issue by allowing international observers.

Image: A Tibetan child holds a placard during a protest against the unrest in Tibet, at a community centre in Kathmandu. Photograph: Sajjad Hussain/AFP/Getty Images

Also see: Beijing Olympics will be a turning point: Tibetans

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