Tibetan Uprising

The recent protests by Tibetan monks against the oppressive Chinese regime and the crackdown of these protests by the Chinese government have raised the issue of Chinese Human Rights record just before the start of the 2008 Beijing Olympics in August. Depending on what report you read and believe, the death toll in the current uprising varies from 3 to 80. The crackdown by the Chinese government has not been limited to just Tibet. It has also blocked the You Tube website as Videos of the protests emerged. Protests against the current crackdown have also happened in New York, with protesters attacking the Chinese Embassy in New York.
Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of the Tibetan's has said that the Chinese occupation of Tibet is causing Cultural Genocide of his people. However the Dalai Lama was unequivocal when he said "China, as the world's most populous nation, deserves to host the Olympics but it must look seriously at repairing its human rights record in order to be a good host." He also called on the international community to exercise its "moral responsibility" and remind Beijing about Human Rights.
The current timing of the protests could not have been any worst from China's point of view. With it hosting the Summer Olympics in August, it is trying to portray a squeaky clean image. Though it is highly unlikely that the current protests will result in any meaningful resolution to the question of "Tibetan Autonomy". But if the protests drag on for too long, Beijing may just start feeling the pressure.
Scott Simon in a Commentary for NPR put this beautifully when he says "The protests of monks and others may not deliver freedom to Tibet anytime soon, but freedom is an effervescent ideal that can't be bottled up forever." Amen to this.....