I believe our Australian Prime Minister’s guarded attitude toward the Dalai Lama is correct in the circumstances. This idle man who has spent the greater part of his life touring the world (business or first class) in a bathrobe and Gucci Shoes (Rupert Murdoch’s observation) pretending concern for the Tibetan poor while staying in obscenely expensive 5 star hotels along with a personal retinue including two chefs to cook his preferred meals of venison, veal and stuffed pheasant breast, is a phoney. He exhorts his followers to a vegetarian Buddhist lifestyle and supports an ancient feudal system of government in his home country where those of ancestral privilege would retain absolute control. Yes, I am aware of the cruel & disgraceful human rights abuses in Tibet under Chinese occupation, however still maintain my observation that the Dalai Lama himself is a very poor advocate or spokesman for an alternative democratic government of these wonderful people. He is an unashamed celebrity groupie, constantly intimidating world leaders (with the notable exception of Queen Elizabeth 2) for photo opportunities, and by implication, making those less enthusiastic seem apathetic to the Tibetan plight. No wonder he is smiling at all times! perhaps Mr. Rudd correctly summed him up when meeting him earlier and is not totally mesmerised by ‘his holiness’.25LXD

Dear ChineseAmerican,
Most Americans and by extension, European ex-colonial nations feel shame and regret for the unenlightened, greedy, selfish policies of our colonial pasts and the ways we treated Native peoples who actually had what is now recognized as national identities. Those peoples had specific geographic, linguistic, religious and cultural identities that set them apart as nations, just like Tibetans, Mongols, Taiwanese and East Turkistanians. Western policies and world-conciousness were not yet developed enough to create the collective wisdom that has since emerged.
After World War 2, the United States lead the Western movement of colonial possession divestiture. In many cases, refusing to support European WW2 allies colonial policies and actions (ex: Suez Canal). In fact, FDR directly thwarted Winston Churchill's post-war colonial inclinations.
China's shrill and belicose behavior is rooted in its fear. Fear that it is on the wrong side of history. Fear that the moral consciousness of an awakening humanity views it's attempts to justify neo-colonial ambitions as retrograde and repugnant. Chinese policies are damaging the environment, developing nations' economies and the cultural identities of the colonies they occupy. Regardless the blunt Chinese attempts to turn the clock back, the rest of the world will move ahead. Chinese fear is dangerous and destructive just like that of any schoolyard bully. No amount of coddling or counselling cahnges the internal image of a bully...only the short, sharp, shock of social rebuke.

I would like to remind ChineseAmerican that if they wanted to write something similar criticizing Chinese policy as a Chinese citizen, at best, they would not be permitted to do so, and at worst, would be in jail for doing so. It is hypocritical to use the freedom of speech in this country to criticize it in favor of a country with few freedoms at all. Please feel free to give your land back.

Above comment hits the target. Everything said is 100% true. If China regime is so great, then why is it being so fearful of this one humble monk? Why? Because for fear of losing Tibet to its rightful owners, the Tibetan people, world knows this. This is why communist dictatorial government is so fearful of HH Dalai Lama. In few decades, your people will revolt against you and communism regime will be obliterated, democracy and human right will prevail. Tibet will be freed from your grip. His Holiness's reincarnation will be there to pray for your demise.

Dear China,

There are many reasons I don't like you. Your policies suck, you support human and environmental degredation and exploitation, you hide behind being a communisit country and yet you are the world's greated capitolists... but the thing that pushes me over the edge is your inability to realize that just because you stomp your feet, shout out untruths and slander and call the leader of the people you have been oppressing for a lifetime a "monster" - doesn't make it reality.

China. I try to be as enlightened as his holiness and the Tibetan people and try to find some sort of way to feel compassion towards you. But I can't. You are that kid on the team who throws a fit any time he doesn't get his way. You are so used to being spoiled by the US (due to your mafia-like hold over our economy) that when the US says, "no" you freak out like a 2 year old.

China... your people aren't the problem. You're government and your overall ideology is the problem. You seem to think you own the planet. You don't. You seem to think you can bully your way out of having to take responsibility for the genocide you have cause for the Tibetan people. You can't. You seem the beleive that if you say something - the world will accept it as truth. We don't.

My partner and I boycott as many things Made in China (even those products that think adding "responsibily" somehow counts as sustainable or socially responsible. WE boycott those products because we cannot support you and your insane ideology. We cannot support your arrogance, ignorance and oppression of people (especially your own) and the destruction of our planet. If we could, we would wage a national boycott of you and your crappy, toxic-made, Dollar Store goods. Unfortunantly, our people are cheap and don't like to think about why a product at Wal-Mart costs pennies.

I am proud of Obama for ignoring your tantrum. He is listening to his soul rather than to the economists and capitolists that have taken over our government in the last few decades.

The threat of His Holiness to you, China, is that his presence distrupts your lies. If he was such a "monster" and such a "liar" than you would not worry that stupid Americans would fall for his "lies." But the issue is that His Holiness is not all the degrading things you have called him over the years. His Holiness is a man of compassion seeking to ignite world peace (and liberation of his people) through dialog and compassion. I suppose if we were to come to a time when world peace was a priority, you, China, would be out of business.

Do us all a favor and shut up. I can be no more compassionate than this.