was the international Free Tibet movement a fad, like saving the whales?
Dalai Lama: I don’t think so. I think interest worldwide in Tibet and support groups are active still. Sometimes concerts happen, sometimes they don’t. Another factor may be Afghanistan and Iraq; they make Tibet a secondary issue. TIME: if international interest and pressure are not maintained, does China win? Dalai Lama: China is already in a win-win situation in any case. It already controls Tibet. (Laughs.) But what do you mean by win or lose? This is quite complicated. We’re not suggesting separation, [but] that Tibet becomes more prosperous within Chinaand that it is also in the interests of the people of China to preserve our cultural heritage. Only if you seek independence or separation is it a question of win or lose. If worldwide interest in Tibet diminishes and is not sensitive, then the Chinese government will not feel much sensitivity [toward Tibet]. But Indian public sympathy is very strong and also the Tibetan community in America and Canada. TIME: How much has exile cost
