Tibet: Past, Present, and Future (by Marcin Kozakowski)

Since the rise of the Peoples Republic of China in 1949, the idea of an independent Tibet was not in the agenda for Mao Zedong, the new leader of the communist party. His belief that Tibet has been a part of China since 640 led him to conclude that China had the right to exercise sovereignty over the country. Indeed, the Chinese government claims to this day that Britain was the only country to every invade Tibet, referring to an invasion in 1904 that led to the independence of Tibet. The Chinese government claims the British invaded to take advantage of China’s weak position after its Democratic Revolution in 1911.

Nevertheless, on 7 October 1950, forty thousand troops of the Peoples Liberation Army attacked Eastern Tibet and has since claimed the lives of more than 1.2 million Tibetans. Thus, it is clear that China’s role in Tibet is quite significant; it has led to a dismantling of ethnic Tibet, destroyed the Tibetans’ religion, and has been a disgrace to human rights across the globe.

Before 1949, Tibet was an independent nation, with many of it citizens being sheep or goat herders, leading lives that were very similar to their ancestors. With a 95% Buddhist population, it is no surprise that many youths became monks or nuns. According to the Tibetan government in exile, in 1959 there were 592,558 resident monks and nuns, with about 6,259 monasteries. These monks and nuns, however, were not just religious symbols but leaders in the Tibetan society and with the Dali Lama at the head, they were also government officials. This is now commonly known as ethnic Tibet, for the current Tibet does not reflect the Tibet as it was when ruled by the Dali Lama.

Tibetans did not lead lives attached to technology or based on material goods. Their lives lacked resemblance the western world, which may lead many to believe that their lives were strange. Mao was a great believer in this, and even today, the Chinese government claims, the changes they’ve brought about were for the better. To help accomplish this, thousands of ethnic Chinese people, known as Han, were moved into Tibet by offering wage increases and monetary incentives, along with other motivation. These people were encouraged to take jobs in construction, mining or other businesses, which would help improve the Tibetan economy.

Tibet is rich in minerals like uranium, borax, copper, chromate, and contains half the world’s supply of lithium. Not surprisingly, the Chinese name for Tibet, Xizang, which translates to “western treasure house.” As a result, it is clear to see why the government would be willing to spend this money control Tibet.

According to a Chinese census in 1990, there were 4.59 million Tibetans and 4.2 million ethnic Chinese living in Tibet. These numbers are rather astounding considering that before the liberation, Mao told his own generals to be careful when attacking Tibet, for “in Tibet there was not even a single Chinese.” However, what is even more astounding is that these numbers are not correct. They represent the number of registered Chinese, yet many Chinese are unregistered and thus, according to the Free Tibet Campaign, there were roughly 5 to 5.5 million Chinese in Tibet, largely exceeding the number of Tibetans. The new construction jobs, the exploitation of the natural resources, and the pumping of millions of Han into Tibet has not only destroyed the land, but more importantly, it has clearly dismantled ethnic Tibet.

It is clear that Tibet was a very religious country; however, religion to the communist party is seen as an obstacle and competitor. When the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) took over Tibet, the people of Tibet were allowed to practice their religion, as stated in the 17 Point Agreement, but their activities were strictly monitored and controlled by the state. In 1959, after the PLA managed to put down a large rebellion by Tibetans, the Dali Lama was forced to escape to India. Since then, the Chinese claim the Dali Lama is using religion for political means, and any possession of a photograph of the Dali Lama, or talk of an uprising, is illegal.

If this was not already a large blow to Tibet’s religion, the Chinese government started to respond harshly to those practicing it, with many monks and nuns being arrested, beaten, or tortured. Between the years of 1959 and 1977, of an estimated 115,600 monks and nuns, only 970 remained. Moreover, out of 6259 monasteries, only 8 remained. Between 1977 and 1986, some religious activities were allowed, while a few monasteries were reopened and rebuilt. During this time, the Tibetans took advantage of the opportunities they had to practice their religion.

Unfortunately, this freedom was short lived when in 1987, another crackdown on religion was enforced in Tibet with more restrictions and an expulsion of some 200 monks and nuns. This proved to be yet another large blow to the Tibetan religion. Moreover, the issue concerning the Panchen Lama, the next highest Lama after the Dali Lama, is another important religious matter. In 1995, the Dali Lama recognized that the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama was Gedhun Choekyi Nyima. The six-year-old boy and his family were taken into custody by Chinese authorities, along with 40 monks that helped find the Panchen Lama. The Chinese government rejected this Panchen Lama and instead selected their own, sparking more controversy between the Dali Lama and China. It has affected the progress towards any sort of peace, and is another example of the destruction of the Tibetan religion.

In recent years, especially after World War II, human rights have been a very important issue in the world. Much progress has been made since the beginning of the twentieth century to help improve human rights. However, the situation in Tibet has been a step backwards for all the progress that has been made. Although much has been attempted by the Dali Lama to reach a peaceful resolution, none have been established. The 17 Point Agreement, which the Chinese government claims was agreed upon by the Tibetan authorities, is invalid, for the Tibetan authorities who signed it were not given the right to sign any treaty at the time it was approved. Thus, the Tibetan government can claim the same argument over the agreement as China did over the treaty it signed when the British invaded Tibet.

However, even with the 17 Point Agreement, which was meant to be an agreement for a peaceful liberation of Tibet, the Chinese government continues to commit crimes that even go against its very own agreement. In 1994, the Chinese government adopted new laws to further limit the political rights of Tibetans, and 18 new grouns for detention were built, and a social organization was founded to spread anti-Tibet information. Accused Tibetans have the right to defense, as stated by article 125 of the Peoples Republic of China, but there are no known cases of Tibetans receiving legal assistance during court procedures.

Once in jail, Tibetans are subject to much torture. Reports from released prisoners show evidence of the use of electric batons, cigarette burns, beatings, dog bites, and the use of chains for long-term restraint. However, evidence of such treatment is not new. As previously stated, since the beginning of the liberation, there have been over 1.2 million deaths because of human rights violations. There have been resolutions passed by the United Nations in 1959, 1961, and 1965 calling for the Peoples Republic of China to respect the lives of the Tibetans, and to “cease practices which deprive the Tibetan people of their fundamental rights and freedoms, including the right to self-determination.” Nevertheless, China has not done anything to help improve the rights and freedoms of the people in Tibet, and continuously commits crimes against them. Thus far, no plan has been made to change the current situation; hence, the Chinese actions against the Tibetans are a disgrace to human rights.

The situation in Tibet is a grave one. Although much has been tried to resolve the problem peacefully by the Dali Lama, there has been a lack of success. The role of China in this situation is quite clear; it has destroyed ethnic Tibet, destroyed Tibetans’ religions, and committed an excessive amount of human rights violations. Though it is far too late to restore the Tibet that once was, it is not too late to save the Tibetan religion and to stop the atrocities that are committed against Tibetans. His Holiness continues to try to negotiate treaties with China that may lead to improvement in Tibet. However, as less Tibetans see the Dali Lama as a political leader, and even fewer countries are willing to help, His Holiness does not have much chance to make a fair treaty. As more years go by, with fewer Tibetan children learning their own culture, the survival of Tibet is unlikely. Thus, it is important for countries around the world to step up and face the challenge to solve this problem. Because China is such a large player in the world economy, it is difficult for any one country to stand up for the rights of Tibet on its own. Therefore it is imperative that all the nations of the world stand up together, and help the people of Tibet before it is too late.

Sources

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"Invasion and Illegal Annexation of Tibet: 1949-1951." The Government of Tibet in Exile. 2 Feb. 1996. 9 Mar. 2005 <http://www.tibet.com/WhitePaper/white2.html>.

Kizilos, Peter. World in Conflict: Tibet Disputed Land. Minneapolis: Lerner Publication Company, 2000.

Pike, John. "Tibet." Global Security. 24 May 2004. 9 Mar. 2005 <http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/war/tibet.htm>.

Shakya, Tsering. The Dragon in the Land of Snows. London: Pimlico, 1999.

"The ABC of China’s Tibet." The Chinese Embassy in the United Kingdom. 9 Mar. 2005 <http://www.chinese-embassy.org.uk/eng/sgsm/t27151.htm>.

"Tibet Facts." Free Tibet Campaign. 9 Mar. 2005 <http://www.freetibet.org/info/facts/home.html>.

"Tibet: History, Politics and Legal Situation." International Campaign for Tibet. 9 March 2005 <http://www.savetibet.org/tibet/history/sincechinese.php>.

"Tibet – Proving Truth from Facts: Response to the China White Paper." Australia Tibet Council. 9 Mar. 2005 <http://www.atc.org.au/tibet/responce.html>.

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