h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hello, John the Gardener. Please forgive my clueless state, but what or who has control over tibet right now? it sounds serious, and i was just wondering.

Hi canadian girl. Nothing to forgive; I spend most of my time in a clueless state... it's something you get used to.

The People's Republic of China invaded Tibet in 1950. They have occupied it by military force ever since, brutally mistreating the Tibetan people. The Chinese claim that Tibet was always a part of China, which is absolute nonsense. I tried to explain what has happened there in the entry 'Tibet'.

http://www.h2g2.com/A126965

If you have the RealPlayer plugin, the link to the World Youth News report about Tibet on my homepage (just click the ribbon) is well worth a look.

I have put together a Tibet links page too:

http://www.h2g2.com/A342398

This lists a number of good web sites, including the Canada Tibet Committee site. The International Campaign for Tibet website is very good.

This is a really important issue that the world has ignored for far too long. China has spent 50 years destroying one of the world's most unique cultures and oppressing the people in a way that has seen few parallels since the Third Reich. That the international community has turned it's back on the Tibetan people for such a long time is a scandal and a tragedy.

I hope you will take a moment to have a look at some of the information. I think you will find it very moving. Best wishes,

JTG

aren't the people in the middle east getting bullied into the religion of the koran too? i forget the exzact countries, but the women aren't even allowed to read or write. there is also no tv, magazines or certain clothes for anyone. it's absolutely sick that people can treat other people like that.

I agree. There's a lot of terrible stuff going on all over. Sadly, most of it is brought about by a tiny minority of evil people, wherever they happen to be, who cause a lot of innocent people to end up suffering. Are you thinking of the Taliban who now rule Afghanistan? They have brought back strict Islamic law to their country, and the poor women there (especially)are paying a heavy price. Women professionals have had to give up their jobs, and so on. I found this site about it, if you're interested.

http://www.feminist.org/afghan/intro.html

Did you get a chance to check out any of the Tibet links?

JTG

i'll go check them after this post. yes,the problem in afganistan is the one i meant. i read about the story of a girl from there who was only 13, it was horrible what she had to go through. On a lighter note, we should all be happy that the nazis no longer exist.

My wife and I went to see the Dalai Lama of Tibet last year in Indiana. One of the things he said that made an impression on me was that he believes the world in general is becoming a better place. Now bear in mind that this man has seen his own country being taken apart piece by piece and himself has had to flee into exile. Yet he says that all over the world people are more compassionate and care more about the injustices of the world. He related a conversation with the Queen Mother in England in which she said that overall she believes the young people of today are more caring than they were were at the beginning of the last century. I think that is really something to feel good about. They are both people who have seen some of the worst of what the last century had to offer and they are both optimistic about the future.

The challenge we face is to believe in that sense of progress and accept nothing less than a better future, in which innocent people can go about their daily lives in peace and freedom.

JTG