Most likely the instigators are from outside Tibetan political groupsl trying to stir up trouble before the Olympics. It's doubtful that those who would be stirred would on one hand be able to point out all the plain clothes policmen to the tourists and on the other other hand would listen to these Chinese government plants to riot.

Forgeweld,

CSB deserves to be slammed because he's a traitor to the Chinese nation. You can view either the communists as the rightful government or you can view the KMT as the rightful government. Taiwan is a part of China no matter how the issue is viewed.

Tenn,

"Whether or not the Buddhist monks of the past were wicked dictators, (which I honestly don't know and will have to learn, because this is not something we've ever discussed in history), the current government looks rather wicked. Right now. I'm a Western kid with no sense of the problem, but just because the other side might be wrong doesn't mean you shouldn't try to help the situation and drag a 'right' side out of all the mess.

Why are we holding the Olympics there anyway?"

If you don't know the history of the previous regime, how can say that the current regime is so bad? I hear that they're waterboarding people in Iraq and Afghanistan. Bottom line is read up on the issue; both sides, not just the one that's cool and popular. While you're at it look into the movement to free Hawaii from the white man or idea that Alta California is for La Raza.

I guess the Olympics are being held in China because something like over 15 to 20% of the world is Chinese and they wanted to host it.

Antonius,

"Tibetan life expectancy is 65.81 years, lower than anywhere China. School attendance, by the way, is lower than China by 20%."

Tibetan life expectancy may be 65.81 years, lower than any where in China but what was Tibetan life expectancy in the 1950's? The trend has been upwards. Also don't forget that Tibet is one of the poorer regions of China. Poor people tend to die earlier. It is because of China's econonic reforms and improved infrastructure and healthcare in Tibet that the life expectancy is as high as it is and improving still.