The Himalayan mountains, otherwise known as the 'water towers of Asia' and a sacred mountain hovers over the major river systems of the Tibetan Plateau. China having already built over 84,000 hydro electric dams is also constructing more throughout the Plateau to satisfy energy demands of a developing nation. Control over the rivers accumulates political leverage over all downstream nations. Beyond the human rights issues, widened to a geopolitical perspective, Tibet without an army will always be vulnerable to foreign control which means control over the water towers of Asia and a potential chokehold on China's water and therefore it's sovereignty.