Indonesia's Stake in the Beijing Olympics

article can be found here: http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2008/04/22/indonesia039s-stake-beijing-olympics.html

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The issue of Tibet in relation to China has been a problem for over half a century. They realized that during the Olympics, China would be most vulnerable because it is under a magnifying glass of the public. This would seem a bit unsettling because in the Olympics, religion, ethnicity, and politics are not supposed to matter.

"But a far greater concern is the issue of separatism. Rare is the country whose borders make perfect ethnic sense, whose populations are fully homogeneous. Many developed countries have been able to overcome tense pasts, where one indigenous population resisted encroachment, or subservience, to another."

Several examples in the article include Native Americans against the United States, the Patani Muslims against Thailand, and also the Muslim minority in Mindanao, Philippines fighting for its homeland.

With the issue of Tibet, it is difficult to ignore religion since it plays a large role in their culture. Therefore, the author suggests China to address the Dalai Llama's concerns and find a happy medium.