Recent visitors to Tibet report spotting a billboard in the center of Lhasa, proclaiming: "Pabst Blue Ribbon celebrates the 50th anniversary of the peaceful liberation of Tibet." Outside of China this historic occasion is more commonly known as the 50th anniversary of the invasion and occupation of Tibet and marks half a century of continuing genocide. But according to Pabst it's just one more reason to crack open a cold one. It certainly puts a new twist on the company's objective "to provide our customers with high quality, popular priced malt beverages to be consumed in a responsible manner."

The sign is in Chinese which makes sense, as over half the population of Lhasa are Chinese colonists and occupation troops. The Tibetans are confined to the old, impoverished quarters of the city. They are unlikely to be celebrating the occasion. Tibet's forests, minerals, and other resources are stripped and shipped eastward to China. Its deep Buddhist traditions are being converted into a sort of Disneyland attraction for tourists (residing comfortably at the Holiday Inn).

The Chinese government, so friendly to western products, calls the Dalai Lama a counterrevolutionary tool of the West and the leader of a terrorist clique. Possessing his picture in Tibet is a punishable offense. But those western brand names are the face of the new cultural revolution. Down with western capitalist stooges! Up with western capitalism! After being contacted by Students for a Free Tibet, the company said that "Pabst Brewing Company does not have any approval rights for advertising and promotion under the existing license agreement. None-the-less [sic] we have communicated with our licensee about the situation. We will also work to improve our controls over the use of our name in the future."

Students for a Free Tibet can be contacted at www.tibet.org.

--Troy Skeels