Freedom for the daughters of Tibet

If I were not in Washington, I'd like to be in Tibet this week as the autonomous region celebrates the 60th anniversary of its peaceful liberation.

Between 1999 and 2001, I spent two months in Tibet interviewing local people, especially women. Doctors, lawyers, public servants, farmers or nuns, they all shared their life stories with me and told me of their aspirations and challenges.

I remember meeting a group of women farmers in Xigaze in 1999. They were discussing how to augment their incomes by making liquor from barley.