There have been many posts on the Tibetan protests exploiting the run-up to the Olympics, many advancing the argument that the transnational Tibetan/NGO movement are employing open-source insurgency methods. I myself have posted on the challenges NGOs face in exerting pressure on the Chinese government.
Last weekend, however, I caught a small fragment of the larger NGO crusade against China.
In New York City for the weekend, I saw a huge pro-Tibet protest in Union Square. A local cab driver (no, I'm not going all Tom Friedman on you) told me that there had been various protests going on for at least a month.
Union Square was jam-packed with protesters, many of them toting large Tibetan banners. While other reported Olympics-related protests focused on a broader spectrum of Chinese human rights issues, this one was exclusively focused on Tibet. Tibetan monks and the usual array of Western hippie/counterculture hangers-on were out in force and dominated the protest. A snap judgment? I agree with John Robb's assertion that the Tibetan/human rights push against China will burn itself out.
Comments