[Buddha-l] more tibetan self-immolations

[Christopher Fynn]

On 08/01/2012, Ngawang Dorje <rahula_80 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> The West was once feudal too. Feudal or not, it doesn't undermine the rights
> of a nation to self-determination.

Yes. I live in Bhutan, which right up into the 1960's had a "feudal"
like system similar to that of Tibet. Over the last 50 years Bhutan
has managed to transform itself into a democracy with good free
education, free health care and so on without being "liberated" by the
Chinese or anyone else. It is not perfect of course, but people have
their culture and religion and enjoy a standard of living that is now
better than in most neighbouring countries.

Had the Tibetans been left alone it is likely that something similar
would have happened there without them having to suffer the wholesale
destruction of their culture, religion and environment that has
occurred under their Chinese "liberators" and colonizers.