Small pro-Tibet protest held in Tiananmen Square

[951-Riverside]

Source: The Associated Press

Activists continued their pro-Tibet demonstrations on Saturday, with the boldest protest coming when they breached heavy security in Tiananmen Square and urged Tibetan freedom before being confronted by angry Chinese onlookers.

The activists clasped each others' hands and walked around the square, chanting "Freedom for Tibet," and "One World, One Dream, Free Tibet" - a play off a Beijing Olympics motto - before they were confronted, according to Canadian Broadcasting Corp. video footage.

Men who appeared to be plainclothes security agents separated the two sides and led the protesters away, said John Hocevar, a member of the activist group, Students for a Free Tibet, who also videotaped the protest.

Separately, two protesters unfurled the Tibetan flag and chanted pro-democracy slogans among the spectators at the equestrian stadium in Hong Kong, but were removed and banned from the venue.

Read more: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/08/09/asia/AS-OLY-China-Protests.php

[Bill McBlueState]

1. I suppose the Chinese version of Mr. Moran

was among the angry onlookers.

[Indenturedebtor]

2. China is almost as heavily propagandised as we are but their internet is also controlled

So yeah most people there probably really do support invading Taiwan, and holding onto Tibet.

[On the Road]

3. Nobody Supports Invading Taiwan

Nor does the government.

It is true that most Chinese are not sympathetic to Tibetan independence. It's not clear what percent of Tibetans are, either. That's due not only to propaganda, which certainly exists, but to a better understanding of the situation.

[Indenturedebtor]

4. I dunno man, when we were over there a couple of years ago alot of people talked to us about it

Not specifically invasion but everyone was real hip to the idea that Taiwan should be a part of China.

And on Chinese TV there were more than a few cheesy digital enactments (think tron) of the Chinese navy wiping out Taiwanese defenses. Freaky.

[On the Road]

7. The Strange Thing About It Is

that both Taiwan and China believe they're part of the same country. They both believe in a unified China. It's a disagreement on who is the legitimate government, and is part of the whole centuries-old idea of China as a political, cultural and ethnic unity.

In the West countries split and change borders all the time. It China the idea of "one China" along traditional borders is almost a religious doctrine. The movie hero is chilling (to me), but it shows how incredibly strong the belief in "one country" is.

There is certainly a lot of saber rattling, I just doubt it's ever likely to amount to anything, any more than America was ever going to invade the Soviet Union. (And we had a president who joked about outlawing Russia and beginning bombing in five minutes.)

China could probably defeat Taiwan without US intervention. But by doing that, China would not only kill people on both sides, but start hostilities with the US and cripple their export economy. That's what makes it unlikely. There are too many other problems they're trying to solve. In the meantime, the countries are establishing closer links. Stalemates can go on for a long time. It will take decades, but I would expect this to have a peaceful resolution.

And BTW, I appreciate the way you brought this up with your experiences rather than just flaming away.

[Shanti Mama]

5. 100s arrested here in Kathmandu, almost daily

From today's Kathmandu Post (Sunday) http://kantipuronline.com/kolnews.php?&nid=156415

Over 800 Tibetans detained

KATHMANDU, Aug 10 - Police detained over 800 exiled Tibetans including monks and nuns while they were protesting outside the Chinese embassy building at Hattisar on Saturday, even as China was busy making the Beijing Olympics more colorful.

The Tibetans chanted anti-China slogans and attempted to break a police cordon outside the Chinese embassy visa section. They were taken to various police stations and freed later in the evening, police said.

The exiled Tibetans have been protesting almost on a daily basis after unrest erupted in Tibet in mid-March.

On Friday also, more than 1,000 Tibetans were arrested in the capital. Nepal is home to about 20,000 exiled Tibetans who began arriving here in large numbers following a failed uprising against Chinese communist rule in 1959.

[Doctor Cynic]

6. At least they didn't get crushed by a tank.

[Heywood J]

8. Yet. That will be done in secret, later.