we have our way to live.we think our way is right.we think our life is happy.
so,this is OK.

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Your pain is my pain,your sadness is my sadmess.your smile is my happiness.

Be assured, we have not all jumped on the 'free Tibet' trendy bandwagon.

Some of us know that Tibet was a hell on earth before coming under China's wing. Tibet before Chinese intervention had forced slavery, oppresed peasantry and terrible injustices.

The fickle 'free Tibet' brigade are misguided indeed.

Agreed!

Agreed!

But that does not remove the basic question I had, and what Winter ignored.
-If there is an ethnic group which feels that it does not want to be part of China-Union, do they have the right to break off, or are they kept in by violence and force?

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En uneksi. I do not dream.

If there's an ethnic group anywhere that wishes to separate, do they have that right? The question applies to everyone, not just China. It's always difficult to determine whether the situation is a group refusing to engage with society coupled with possible civil rights issues; or whether it's a legitimate separatist or irredentist cause. The way you phrased the "question" is unhelpful in the extreme.

Thank you for the comment.

The incidents happened in March and April have attracted much attentions of the world on Tibet, even from many ordinary chinese people in China inland and abroad. I believe more and more people around the world will get to know the real pictures about Tibet over the course of time.

Yes, but unfortunately many anarchists have a political agenda to destabilise Tibet. Many ordinary people will learn the truth though and the troublemakers will not be successful.

Perhaps they should wonder how us English would feel, should the build-up to London 2012 be dominated by Latinos around the world demonstrating over Gibralter, even though the majority of the populace, (same as the majority in Tibet wishes to remain Chinese), want to stay British?

Anyway, let's look forward to the Beijing Olympics as a memorable sporting occasion, as I am sure the Chinese will make it so.

true.
in China,the different races/ethnic live together,there's no pure one ethnic area in China.if Dalai want "pure Tibetan area"(this is his political purpose),some Tibetan would be kicked out Si Chuan,Gansu,Qing Hai...and muslims will never agree Dalai build this "pure Tibetan area"

PS: i readed some foreign report.foreigners seems don't know why Chinese government and people started mourn for dead citizens of earthquake in the 7th day(yesterday).because buddhism is a part of Chinese culture.
in the 7th day,people consider dead citizen's soul will back to home to see other members of family.in this day,family members must prepare dinner for him.after that,members had better disappear(the best way is is sleeping,or leave home) for a while.because if the soul see family members,the soul would not go to reincarnate,because he miss his family members.
in the 7 days,the soul doesn't consider he is dead,he is always consider he is stay alive,his body being rotten.but his soul leave his body,it still go everywhere.in the 7th day,the soul believe he is dead,he will back to his home to see family members.after that,he will leave home and walk in "Nai He bridge"(the bridge to the paradise),he will get one bowl of "Meng Po Tang" from one old woman who names "Meng Po",after he drink this,he will forget anything---include his family member.then the soul could reincarnate securely
in China,"Meng Po Tang" is sad word.people use this word frequently in article,for example,one boy could say "drink "Meng Po Tang",forget me,forget our times.you will get happiness"

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Your pain is my pain,your sadness is my sadmess.your smile is my happiness.

great statement!!
zan yi ge !!

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I am a Chinese and I am proud to be one

Yes, I'm confident of that.

Fair question, even more after seeing how Kosovo Albanians got independence.

Kosovo was Serb area, but by moving into the area and breeding more rapidly(yes, I am being blunt) than the original folk, they managed to gain more numbers.
After that.. terror campaign against Serbs in the protective cover of KFOR. Serbs were forces off and thus Albanians were able to gain independence.
(Albanians tried this in Macedonia, but failed. That is why I have zero compassion towards their actions)

Same results are not to be expected everywhere though. Russian Federation, being huge and diverce, will not allow any minority or ethnic group gain independence. They rather bully them into submission. Or annihilate them through brutal terror-war.

Jugoslavia. I think that area fits as perfect example.
Do you have any better ones?

How about Israel? And its long history of kinship wars?

Ireland and their struggle against British would also be a nice one.

The matter is complex to the extreme.

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En uneksi. I do not dream.

Of course it's complicated, but the question was asked as if it was clear that the Tibetans "deserved" indepedence and the Chinese were "bullying" them.

I say that if Kinship has no means to actually upkeep their independence, why should they get it.
Ireland was brutally bullied.

Kosovians don't "deserve" independence, because they forced the original people out by means of violence and have no actual means to stand on their own.

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En uneksi. I do not dream.

In other news, the Gauls want France back...

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"Compassionate Conservatism"?!?! That is a stupid phrase. Conservatism is inherently compassionate. It is liberalism that is cruel for the sake of maintaining a constituency.

..Not to be overly crafty or anything, but the 36 tribes which formed Gauls are still where they once were.
Of course some were compleatly lost in the course of history, but some have remained and are, well whattya know, in France.

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En uneksi. I do not dream.