Free Tibet!

It can not be denied that the Tibet Railway is a amazing feat, but also keep in mind up front that the Tibetan people did not ask for this railway and did their best to keep it from happening. In my opinion China has given up on the idea of taking Tibet by force. (not a choice they made without world pressure) They are now conquering Tibet by forcing the Chinese ways on the Tibetan people. This train now allows the average Chinese citizen access to Tibet and therefore they are seeing a mass migration of Chinese into Tibet.

This would not necessarily be a bad thing if the Tibetan people were allowed to practice their traditional beliefs. Unfortunately the Chinese greatly control and limit the way the Tibetan people are now allowed to practice their beliefs. This was most evident in our trip when we would visit Monasteries that at their height of their existence housed thousands of monks and today are lucky to house hundreds. Throughout our trip it was very evident that the Chinese presence was felt in terms of military presence and such egotistical acts as putting a huge Chinese monument/plaza across the street from Portala Plaza which was the chief residence of the Dalai Lama.

Unless something is done the Tibet I visited will be destroyed within my life time.

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