Paramilitary police and soldiers swarmed cities and villages in Tibet and restive western China on Tuesday, on the alert for possible unrest on the 50th anniversary of a failed uprising against Chinese rule. The Dalai Lama said Tibet had become "hell on earth" under Beijing's control.
China sought to head off trouble on the anniversary of the 1959 abortive Tibetan revolt against Beijing's rule and a peaceful commemoration last year that spiraled into violent demonstrations by Tibetans. Troops have been poured into Tibet and Tibetan communities in surrounding provinces to smother any protests.
Peking surley doesn't want mass incidents of people protesting personal grievances over local government actions.
One would hope that the Taiwanese people would take a lesson here. Do you want to one day celebrate your 50th anniversary as a free and democractic nation, or do you look forward to the 50th anniversary of your subjugation, daring to see what brave souls will stand alone in the city square remembering what once was? Your decisions today matter in how your grandchildren answer this question.
UPDATE: Of course, we aren't helping the decision-making over there, as Taiwan's Speaker notes:
The White House blocked the $4.9 billion (3.5 billion pounds) deal for 66 advanced F-16s last year and there was little hope of it being revived this year, said Wang Jin-pyng."
The U.S. doesn't want to give them to us," Wang told Reuters in an interview."
They wouldn't name a price. It's mainly because mainland China would oppose the sale."
Sometimes I sadly conclude it is safer, and certainly more profitable, to be our enemy than our friend.
