By Khedroob Thondup

When His Holiness the Dalai Lama proposed the Middle Way Approach, it was an act of visionary pragmatism. By renouncing independence and seeking “genuine autonomy” within the People’s Republic of China, he offered Beijing a compromise: sovereignty for China, cultural survival for Tibetans. The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) embraced this path, presenting it as a moderate, nonviolent solution that could win international sympathy and open dialogue with Beijing.

But decades later, the Middle Way has become a policy without a partner. China has rejected it outright, and Tibetans are left with a strategy that no longer matches political reality.

Why the Middle Way No Longer Works. Beijing’s refusal to negotiate: Talks have been frozen since 2010. China dismisses autonomy demands as separatism and labels the Dalai Lama a “splittist.” Assimilation instead of autonomy: T...