History As Propaganda Tibetan Exiles versus the People's Republic of China

Despite Chinese efforts to stop foreign countries from granting him visas, the Dalai Lama has become one of the most recognizable and best loved people on the planet, drawing enormous crowds wherever he goes. By contrast, China's charismatically-challenged leaders attract crowds of protestorswaving Tibetan flags and shouting "Free Tibet!" whenever they visit foreign countries. By now most Westerners probably think they understand the political situation in Tibet. But, John Powers argues, most Western scholars of Tibet evince a bias in favor of one side or the other in this continuingstruggle. Some of the most emotionally charged rhetoric, says Powers, is found in studies of Tibetan history. narratives.

John Powers is a Reader at the Centre for Asian Studies and Histories at the Australian National University in Canberra.