Tintin in Tibet

The recent riots in Tibet have thrown a shadow over the Beijing Olympic games.
Ever since its de facto annexation by China in 1960, Tibet has been a thorn in the side of the Middle Kingdom.
The Mongols were the first to throw Tibetans and han Chinese together in the IX Century AD. Ever since Tibet has been the object of wars and unrest. The Dalai lama, spiritual leader of Tibet, lives in exile in India.
It is probable that activist Tibetans saw a golden opportunity to rattle their cage when the entire world is about to shine a light on China at the occasion of the Olympic games. Some have asked to boycott the games. I think it is a mistake.
Chinese people are very sensitive to FACE. By making the authorities lose face, the would be boycoters would only harden their stance. Besides, the Chinese population would surely side with their government.

There is probably a long way to go to accomodate both communities. But diplomacy, integration, regionalization in an age of globalization, and, perhaps federalism, might be better suited to solve the problem than criticism.