Jamyang Norbu, one of the most prolific writers and committed advocates for Tibetan independence, has a piece up on Phayul (the main Tibetan exile news site) discussing the ongoing events in Tibet. Norbu describes what has happened and continues as nothing short of a revolution.

Norbu offers a scathing critique of how the Tibetan Government-in-Exile has handled this revolution. He makes a convincing case that the TGIE’s active involvement in diminishing the scope and nature of protests going on around the world has damaged the power of this moment. Echoing Thomas Paine, Norbu challenges the TGIU to “step out of the way” since they have failed to lead this revolution closer to independence for Tibet.

Jamyang Norbu’s piece is worthy of repeated, thorough readings. It succeeds in capturing the true power of the revolution going on in Tibet and rightly differentiates what has happened over the last month as far greater in scale than the 1989 uprising. His piece gives voice to the possibility that the TGIE has tragically misplayed the meaning of the events in Tibet and undercut Tibetans’ commitment to freedom. This is a heartbreaking realization, but it speaks to the profound strategic disagreements that exist within the Tibetan exile community about what should be sought and how it can be achieved.

You can read Jamyang Norbu’s essay, “Don’t Stop the Revolution” on Phayul.