Last spring, the increasingly radical Tibetan Youth Congress called for a hunger strike in New Delhi, India, to bring International attention to their plight. His last plea was for the international community, and especially the United Nations, to come to the aid of the Tibetan cause. The Dalai Lama had visited the strikers to show his admiration for their commitment but also to express disapproval of the methods used. Yet even the Dalai realized that he had no immediate alternative to offer. He could just repeat his claim that the Tibetans had the world's support in large part because of admiration for the nonviolence of the Tibetan Buddhists.
Time is on the PRC's side.
The Dalai Lama ages and, were he to die, the one force that has united the Tibetan opposition would fall. The radical adventurists would surely move forward, while the old, nonviolent guard might just stand by. Fundamental splits in the opposition would present the Chinese government with an opening to be more forceful in its authoritarianism. As the international community becomes Increasingly aware of Tibet, criticisms are expressed. Maybe neither trade nor joint ventures suffer but the reputation and standing of the PRC does.