I love the idea of gorilla war in the Ureweras

The question of how you manage the autonomy of a group (Tibetans) within a larger functional group (China) seems to be the nub of the problem. The idea that Tibetans should become Chinese at the cost of being Tibetans is difficult and unrealistic. This seems to be the point that the Dalai Lama addresses. China is unlikely to relinquish Tibet (and we can debate the historical and ideological context at length), but it should be possible for Tibet to retain its cultural identity (or identities) without threatening the idea of a Greater China. However, the Chinese Government does not seem to accept this possibility and tries to conflate the two concepts.