Sir, – The visit of the Chinese vice-president makes it incumbent on all of us to become better informed about this massive nation which is assuming a global role it did not have in the past, and its related issues. And it would appear that the question of Tibet is relevant, as reflected in the letter by Anthony O’Brien of the Tibet Support Group Ireland (February 21st).
But there was one jarring note in that missive for me. Mr O’Brien says that a total of 36 Tibetans have self-immolated in the recent past. Am I the only one to feel that suicide is not really an appropriate form of protest, and that the decision to self-immolate is a choice that is made by the person concerned and not something that is imposed on him or her by the Chinese? – Yours, etc,