Wang Lixiong, a Chinese writer who recently helped author the twelve suggestions open letter to Beijing signed by 30 Chinese intellectuals and dissidents, has an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal today.

I am a supporter of the Dalai Lama’s “middle way,” meaning autonomy for Tibet in all matters except foreign affairs and national defense. This arrangement eventually would have to mean that Tibetan people select their own leaders — and that would be a major change from the way things are now. Tibet is called an “autonomous region,” but in fact its officials are all named by Beijing, and are all tightly focused on their own personal interests and the interests of the Communist Party. Tibetans can clearly see the difference between this kind of government and self-rule, and there is no way that they will support bogus autonomy.

It follows — even if this is a tall order — that the ultimate solution to the Tibet problem must be democratization of the Chinese political system itself. True autonomy cannot come any other way.

It is time for the Chinese government to take stock of why its long-term strategy in Tibet has not worked, and to try something else. The old problems remain, and they are sure to continue, perhaps in places like the “Uighur Autonomous Region” of Xinjiang, if a more sensible approach is not attempted.

I think Wang is fundamentally right in the assessment that the most likely resolution to the Tibet question for China will likely have to be proceeded by the democratization of the Chinese government.

Earlier in the piece Wang also had this sensible assessment of the recent weeks’ events in Tibet:

It should be no surprise that beatings of monks and closings of monasteries naturally stimulate civil unrest, or that civil unrest, spawned in this way, can turn violent.

I would only add something that I know Wang is familiar with: that the beatings of monks and closings of monasteries that took place in response to the peaceful protests of March 10-14 were proceeded by 50 years of beatings of monks, raping of nuns, destruction of monasteries, and oppression of lay people. The response surrounding the March 10th protests may merely have been the final straw that lead to civil unrest.