Tibet: silence and revolt

In recent months, several cases of self-immolation by Tibetans have once again reminded the world of the ongoing conflict in the country. The paucity of news coming out of Tibet due to restrictions placed on access to the region since the 2008 uprisings only highlights the impotence of the Tibetan people, who are confronted with Chinese repression and an absence of solutions for their situation. With the argument of abolishing feudal society and opening up the way to progress, the Chinese authorities have carried out a decades-long of cultural and political persecution. Moreover, the country’s considerable natural resources turn Tibet into a strategic region. The struggle to demand respect for Tibetan culture and to obtain greater political autonomy has been led by the Dalai Lama, who has been in exile since 1959. However, although they accept his spiritual leadership, many young Tibetans are now beginning to express dissent with his political strategies, which include defence of non-violence and willingness to negotiate autonomy for the region. In the present context of isolation and repression, the population of Tibet has been pushed into an extreme situation by an absence of future prospects.

7 p.m. Film:

Human Torches of Tibet (23 min.), BBC News, United Kingdom, 2012

7.30 p.m. Debate with the participation of:

Robert J. Barnett, director of the Modern Tibet Studies Program at Columbia University and commentator for The New York Times and the BBC.

Josep Lluís Alay, lecturer at the University of Barcelona and director of the Tibet and Central Asia Observatory.

Presented by Sergi Vicente, TV3’s correspondent in Beijing.