TERMS TO KNOW: THE TIBET QUESTION TIBET WAS ONCE A MIGHTY MILITARY THREAT. lama. Dalai Lama. sovereign. treaty. Lhasa.

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1 TERMS TO KNOW: lama THE TIBET QUESTION Dalai Lama HOW A SOVEREIGN NATION BECAME A STATE OF CHINA OR WAS TIBET EVER A SOVEREIGN NATION AT ALL? sovereign treaty Lhasa self-immolation TIBET WAS ONCE A MIGHTY MILITARY THREAT When Buddhism was introduced ca. 650 CE, they put their weapons down Tibetan warriors - master archers & horsemen Tibet has been a state of China since 1951, according to China Tibet disagrees

2 2 PERSPECTIVES ON THE SITUATION OF TIBET WHY DOES CHINA THINK THEY OWN TIBET? China had multiple treaties with China over the years China: Tibet is part of China, and has been for centuries Tibet: Tibet is being unlawfully occupied by China In the 1200s & again in the 1700s, north Asian emperors claimed power in Tibet & in China (so they were both claimed by the same invader) that is where China gets their belief that they have owned Tibet since that time that they were somehow incorporated together when the powers from N. Asia invaded them both HOWEVER PEACE AND SOVEREIGNTY Tibet was recognized as an independent nation by all major world powers Tibet disagrees, and sites the following evidence that they are indeed a sovereign nation Had diplomats in other countries, and other countries diplomats in Tibet Stayed neutral during WWI and WWII despite pressure from China and Britain to get involved

3 AND MOST IMPORTANTLY: CHINA INVADES TIBET Threats and small attacks starting 1949 Tibet signed many treaties over the years with other countries, including China Why does this matter? Full invasion of Lhasa (capital of Tibet) small Tibetan army easily overcome Forced Tibet to sign 17 point plan for peaceful liberation of Tibet 17-POINT PLAN A SHAM OF A PLAN Basically said that if Tibet agreed to become officially part of China, they could keep their autonomy and would be left alone Somewhat stuck to in Lhasa, but in outer regions, murders of tribal chiefs and lamas, destruction of monasteries most agree the plan was 1) forced on the Tibetan people 2) A sham - China never kept their end of the bargain

4 DALAI LAMA FLEES Dalai Lama fled Tibet in 1959 In the years that followed one million+ Tibetans were killed, monasteries burned down, countless holy people murdered

5 THE UNTOLD STORY ABOUT TIBET S EFFORTS TO FIGHT CHINA Tibet put up a better fight than you might expect Funded by American CIA (another Secret War) Fought hard until Dalai Lama asked them to stop in 1974 HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN TIBET EXAMPLES Outlawing Tibetan nat l anthem & flag Outlawing protest Restriction to info in and out of Tibet Censorship of news in Tibet Regardless of who owns Tibet, the human rights abuses in Tibet are of international concern Discrimination in education Subjecting Buddhist leaders to re-education Few Tibetans are in the Tibetan gov t Forced to read literature against Dalai Lama Physical punishment/torture

6 THIS HAS LED TO MANY PROTESTS IN TIBET AMERICAN PERSPECTIVE ON THE TIBET ISSUE Since 2009, 133 Tibetans have died via selfimmolation DALAI LAMA CHANGES HIS STRATEGY OBAMA VISITS W/DALAI LAMA FEB over time, he has stopped asking for Tibetan independence, and has moved to simply asking for a stop to the abuses Tibet wants autonomy, not independence. His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama, 2006 In September, when the Dalai Lama visited Washington as a guest of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus and issued a five-point peace plan for Tibet, 66 of my colleagues in the House joined me in writing to President Reagan, urging him to press for the plan. The reply, through the State Department, was that the US government considers "Tibet to be a part of China." While supporting human rights for Tibetans, the government regarded most parts of the five-point program as "contrary to U.S. policy" and could "damage U.S. relations with the People's Republic of China. Tom Lantos, 1988 The President commended the Dalai Lama s commitment to peace and nonviolence stressed that he encourages direct dialogue to resolve long-standing differences and that a dialogue that produces results would be positive for China and Tibetans reiterated the U.S. position that Tibet is part of the People s Republic of China and that the United States does not support Tibet independence. The Dalai Lama stated that he is not seeking independence for Tibet and hopes that dialogue between his representatives and the Chinese government will resume. The President and the Dalai Lama agreed on the importance of a positive and constructive relationship between the United States and China.

7 SO WHAT S THE SOLUTION? Sign above a small cafe in Tibet Currently many Tibetan refugees, espec. in India China wants surrender of Dalai Lama & total control of Tibet Tibet wants to stop human rights abuses & keep their culture so Tibetans can come home espec. legalizing their religious practices