Ominous homeland

While most believe China is a relatively stable country, the pace at which recent labour protests gripped international media attention is noteworthy. Watchdogs have long warned of gross mistreatment of workers in China, at both state-owned and private factories. But the media had by and large failed to report on the matter until two incidents earlier this year: strikes at the carmaker Honda's plants in China, followed by suicides at Taiwanese companies that make iPods for Apple. Although journalists are now writing about Chinese workers, there is much to undo in the long framing of China – despite the contradictions inherent in the 'capitalism with Chinese characteristics' model – as the ultimate destination for manufacturers.

Something similar happened with the 2009 demonstrations inside Tibet, which saw the most widespread airing of anger in decades, followed by the largest show of military might on the plateau since the 'liberation' of the area in 1950. While large-scale protests continue to occur every decade or so (and Tibetans do not manufacture iPods on overtime), there has been little analysis of why such demonstrations occur on a regular basis. Some say political freedom or democracy, others cite economic inequality, while some others attribute the ongoing discontent to the denial of religious freedoms. In his biography, Arjia Rinpoche emphasises the importance of thinking that Chinese and Tibetans are indeed facing the same predicament. As such, he says, it is important to 'free China, before freeing Tibet.'