At some point, Tibetan Buddhists will be faced with the loss of a man who has been revered as both a secular and spiritual leader and has given their Free Tibet movement a sense of moral authority throughout the world.
When Mr Hu's predecessor, Jian Zemin, visited London in October 1999, a diplomatic row ensued after several protesters complained that their pro-Tibet banners were seized by police before they had even unveiled them.
LOS ANGELES — When the time came for the smiling Tibetan monk at the front of the University of Southern California lecture hall to answer questions, the Chinese students who packed the audience for the talk last Tuesday had plenty to lob at their guest: If Tibet was not part of China, why had the Chinese emperor been the one to give the Dalai Lama his title?
Quite the contrary -- the Chinese government can make life so uncomfortable for anyone who sticks their neck out on Tibet that there is strong incentive for any person, government or institution with interests in China to keep Tibet out of the spotlight.
Until the early 1990's, however, Tibetan exiles numbered in the few hundreds in North America, where they actively promoted their cause of freeing Tibet from Chinese rule.
Dreaming!" To extend the irony, the cause Groupon is helping, The Tibet Fund (their site is, of course, blocked in China), may well wind up pleased with the fundraising boost they get from the ad, because it is just about the only way their cause could get promoted to such a huge audience.
Since then, the ministry, which vets all foreign acts, has denied entry to everyone from Oasis and Lady Gaga to Brad Pitt and Richard Gere for their embrace of the Free Tibet movement.
PAGE A12 CHINESE CLAIM BIAS ON TIBET Chinese officials, in response to unrest in Tibet, have accused foreign reporters of bias in their coverage and are preventing them from traveling to Tibet or neighboring provinces.
