The people of Tibet have lost control over their destiny as a people due to the Chinese invasion of their land about fifty years ago. Prior to the Chinese arrival, Tibet was ruled by a small clique of religious leaders, who had good intentions, but nevertheless were not advocates of democracy. Tibet’s spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, has called together about 500 leaders of the exiled Tibetan community to discuss which road should be pursued in the future. The Dalai Lama has tried to achieve an agreement with the Chinese government which retains Tibet as part of China, but allows for local autonomy, a stance that is not necessarily supported by many young Tibetan exiles.
There is some sentiment among younger Tibetans to end the “middle way” approach of the Dalai Lama and fight for an independent Tibet. This is a noble goal, but virtually impossible to achieve. In reality, the only road is some variation of the “middle way.”