South Africa's Refusal to Allow Dalai Lama to Participate in Peace Conference Actually Encourages Bad Chinese Diplomatic Behavior: They'll Do It Again

South Africa set off a wave of protests and threats of boycotts of it's soon-to-be-held peace conference when it knuckled under to Chinese diplomatic pressure and refused the Dalai Lama to participate in the conference by denying him a visa.

Former South African President FW De Klerk and Archbishop Desmond Tutu announced that they were boycotting the conference until South Africa reversed its position and allowed the Tibetan leader to come.

South Africa is more worried about the 2010 World Cup, and its own interests, rather than the interests of the peace conference that they're hosting. They've lost a lot of credibility around the globe while earning China's praise. Costly move, because now the Chinese government knows it can bully the South African government around whenever China's interests are at stake.

For a democracy to cave in to China is disturbing. De Klerk said it best: "South Africa is a sovereign constitutional democracy and should not allow other countries to dictate to it regarding who it should, and should not admit to its territory - regardless of the power and influence of the country."

Perhaps South Africa should ask another nation to host this peace conference.

China Needs to End Their Illegal 58-Year Occupation of Tibet and Leave Them Alone

The illegal Chinese occupation of Tibet entered a new phase last week as demonstrators in the Tibetan capitol of Lhasa clashed with Chinese occupation forces. The anniversary of the 1959 riots were being observed, and the demonstrations turned violent. The Chinese opened fire and killed up to a hundred people.

It's not known if the protesters setting Chinese shops, cars and interests on fire caused the troops to open fire, or if the shootings happened first and then the protesters started rioting. In any case, it doesn't really matter. Tibet remains under Chinese occupation. Tibetans across the border in actual Chinese territory have been demonstrating in three Chinese provinces against the Chinese aggression.

The Chinese living in Tibetan territory have established a two-tiered apartheid system, which makes Tibetans second-class citizens in their own land; is it any wonder that the demonstrators targeted Chinese-owned businesses only?

The International Olympic Committee is busy telling the international community not to respond to China's continued heavy-handed tactics in controlling Tibet, and that boycotts of the Beijing Olympic Games will only hurt athletes. Yeah, right.

So we're supposed to ignore the people that China's been shooting at for a week, in favor of the athletes? I think most of the athletes would be sick to their stomachs if they learned that the murders committed against Tibet's people is to be ignored so that they could compete for blood medals.

It should be noted that over a hundred Olympic athletes from around the world have joined "Team Darfur" to raise awareness of the huge crisis in Darfur, Sudan, and the slaughter that has taken place there. China is one of Team Darfur's targets as the Chinese government (and Sudan's largest oil customer) has been reluctant to put pressure on the Sudanese government to stop the killing there. So I cannot imagine the athletes turning their backs on the people of Tibet.

Communism is an abhorrent system of government that is incompatible with a religious culture, such as the one that has been suppressed for far too long in Tibet. They should pull their army out of Tibet and LEAVE TIBET ALONE. They were doing fine without the Chinese before the Chinese Red Army (aka the People's Liberation Army) invaded.

Nation Welcomes Dalai Lama to Washington: Religion-Banning Communist Heathens in Beijing Protest Visit

The White House and Congress welcomed the Dalai Lama to Washington and awarded him a Congressional Gold Medal, while the communist government in Beijing demanded that he not be awarded the medal, which is the highest civilian honor in this country.

China ought to get over it and engage the Dalai Lama in conversation, not try to control him.

And they can begin by returning the right of self-rule to Tibet and pulling it's troops out of there, immediately and forever.

And perhaps they ought to allow their own people to practice religion instead of suppressing it.

Get with the program, China.