China is using rapid-fire sham trials for Tibetan political prisoners:

The Chinese government is planning quick show-trials for over 1,200 Tibetan protesters just in Lhasa alone.  (Why do they bother, when we know the verdict will be “guilty?”)  There are 26 days left until May 1st so this means over 46 trials a day, every day, in just one city.  Forget about defense attorneys, international observers, transparency, or any semblance of fairness and impartiality… this is wholly the government’s desperate attempt to pretend that this messy business of Tibetan freedom protests is swept under the carpet.

I suppose that  Nick Kristof would say we have to be as quiet as possible and keep our fingers crossed while waiting until the very last minute before the Olympics to not do something about this. After all, Kristof’s greatest concern is that protests inside and outside Tibet harms China’s national image. The last thing he would want is that we demand the rule of law be followed in Tibet. I wish Kristof would tell his readers why he so fervently defends this totalitarian government from criticism.