Tibet

History doesn't usually repeat itself, but the parallels between the conduct of the Chinese Government in cracking down on Tibetans, and that of the Burmese dictatorship attacking the protests led by that country's monks are alarming.

When I wrote about the Burmese protests here and here, the international consensus was that China's opposition to Burma's behaviour was crucial because they are the regional power and carry greater influence with the ruling junta.

I was always somewhat concerned about this line of argument for the reasons that have become self-evident here: how can a regime that behaves in exactly the same way over Tibet be expected to be taken seriously by countries with equally dubious human rights records.

Of course there are differences between China's relationship with Tibet and Burma's with its own people; and the real politic of dealing with Asia's main superpower will lead many to treat it differently. But I for one was proud to see Gordon Brown offer to meet with the Dalai Lama the other day, and if that causes "dismay" within the Chinese government, so be it.