Thanks to Precious Metal for the pointer. He writes, “Tibet isn’t a Buddhist litmus test”:

As the violence in Tibet has continued, the Dalai Lama issued a stern statement that he could not align himself with insurrection in his home country. Buddhism rests on several pillars, one of which is nonviolence. Tibet quickly became a kind of Buddhist litmus test.

How much pain and oppression can you stand and still exhibit loving kindness and compassion? I wonder if that’s really fair. The Tibetans face a political crisis that should be met with political action. Whatever that action turns out to be, nobody should be seen as a good or bad Buddhist, anymore than defending your house from an intruder tests whether a Christian is living by the precepts of Jesus.

China is cracking down on many minorities, not just Tibetans. The world has to keep an eye out for this. Tibet grabs the headlines, but there are many other groups also at risk. Case in point is the protests in Xinjiang. 70 Uighurs were recently arrested in the Silk Road city of Kashgar. And because they’re Muslim, they’re much vulnerable than Buddhists to being called terrorists in the eyes of the world.

Lodi Gyari, envoy of the Dalai Lama, asks Beijing to keep the torch out of Tibet. He also says the situation in Tibet is “grim”. Norway may also skip the opening ceremonies. The EU calls inviting the DL to Brussels “doable.”

More arrests in Burma: 52 since January.

Nicholas Kristof:

So what do we do? A boycott of the Olympic Games themselves is a nonstarter. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has raised the possibility of a boycott of the opening ceremony, and that is plausible.

The best answer is: Postpone the decision until the last minute so as to extort every last ounce of good behavior possible out of the Chinese government — on Darfur as well as Tibet. But at the end of the day, if there have been no further abuses, President Bush should attend — for staying away would only inflame Chinese nationalism and make Beijing more obdurate.

If President Bush attends the ceremonies, however, he should balance that with a day trip to a Tibetan area. Such a visit would underscore American concern, even if the Chinese trot out fake monks to express fake contentment with fake freedom.

President Bush and other Western leaders should also continue to consult with the Dalai Lama, even though this infuriates Beijing. The Dalai Lama is the last, best hope for reaching an agreement that would resolve the dispute over Tibet forever. He accepts autonomy, rather than independence, and he has the moral authority to persuade Tibetans to accept a deal.