As a matter of fact, the Dalai himself changes his attitude with the changing tide in international affairs. In September 1990, the Dalai told a Dutch reporter: "Changes in the Soviet Union bring new hope for Tibetan independence and give us courage and force to continue seeking Tibetan independence". In April 1991, he attended a welcome party held by the US Congress, where he said that "if Beijing gives me a cold shoulder on this proposal" he would then return to seeking independence. In October 1991, the Dalai Lama gave a lecture at Yale University in which he stated that he believed the Tibetans would win independence soon just as the three Baltic states had done so [from the Soviet Union] and remained as determined as ever to attain the goal as throughout "42 years of occupation"; "the Strasburg statement obviously could no longer play its role, and this is why I had to declare recently that I have given up abiding by these terms". Misjudging the international situation, the Dalai Lama declared in 1993 that he would not make contacts with a "destabilizing Chinese government", and cut off all channels for arranging a meeting with the Central Government. Seeing China enjoys continued peace and stability, as well as sustained economic development, the Dalai Lama ventured to demand contacts with the Central Government again. In 2003, he told a French reporter: "If no results can be achieved in two or three years of negotiations, I would find it hard to explain to the young that the 'middle way' is more effective than seeking independence"; "if I fail, these young people would raise torches and cry for independence". Given the fact that the Dalai Lama gives out different signals at different times and even at the same time, one can hardly agree his "middle way" is different from "Tibetan independence."

    As a matter of fact, the "middle way" is a philosophy, according to which one should not take extreme actions. But the Dalai's "middle way" has nothing to do with the "middle way" philosophy. The Central Government has made public its views on the Dalai's "middle way" over the past 20 years, but the Dalai Lama still hates to say bye to his proposals which are "independence of Tibet" in nature. It left no stone unturned to bargain with the Central Government by changing words. This writer holds that the Dalai Lama is in a blind alley. We Tibetans value highly the Sagya Sayings, which says: "One should refrain from thinking to do things one could not do; and eat food which can hardly be digested;" "a fool takes a wrong way, simply because he is a fool; when a wise man takes a wrong way, he needs must find out the why." If the Dalai Lama is sincere in improving ties with the Central Government, he needs, first and foremost, to have an objective understanding of the political reality in Tibet and, on this basis, re-think his political propositions. Only by truly giving up his "Tibetan independence" policy, can the Dalai Lama win the confidence of others and create conditions for him to do something in the interest of Tibet. Enditem

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