Seventy years of occupation
In 1950, when the People’s Republic of China invaded Tibet under the pretext of “peaceful liberation,” the Tibetan people were completely taken by surprise, and we were not prepared to defend ourselves. At that time no country came to our rescue, as we had no links with the outside world.
Today China is celebrating 70 years of the “peaceful liberation” of Tibet. Over a 100,000 Tibetans died defending their country. One million Tibetans perished in the past seventy years.
What has China got to show after 70 years of occupation?
Tibetans in Tibet hate the Chinese, and likewise Tibetan cadres are not trusted by the Chinese and are treated as second-class citizens.
No religious freedom, absolutely no freedom of speech or movement. No Tibetan in the past 10 years has been able to get a Chinese passport. No Tibetan can travel to China without being questioned.
Why should Tibet be a part of China? Tibetans deserve the right to choose their own destiny. Tibet is now being flooded with Han Chinese settlers making Tibetans a minority in the big cities such as Lhasa and Shigatse.
What the Chinese have accomplished is the systematic degradation of Tibetan culture to the point where the Tibetan people are completely subservient to China.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) recently visited Tibet to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the 17 Point Agreement and the “peaceful liberation” of Tibet.
However, during the entire visit and in all his talks, there was no mention of the 17 Point Agreement, not much talk of “peaceful,” but only of “liberation.”
However, his visit itself during this tense situation and his high-profile meetings with the military in Tibet certainly showed China’s commitment to the defense of their strategic interest in Tibet.
After 70 years of occupation, Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Chairman Wang Yang (汪洋) on a visit to Tibet called on Tibetans to accept Chinese Communist Party rule.
Beijing has lost the race to control the minds of the Tibetan people, and it feels unsure of its control.
In the minds of the Tibetan people lies the spirit of the Dalai Lama. No Tibetan can be coerced to change their strong traditional religious beliefs. Beijing is trying to raise the image of their appointed Panchen Lama in front of the Tibetan people, thinking that one day he will be able to replace the Dalai Lama.
This strategy will not work, as the Tibetan people will never accept him.
Seventy years of occupation has turned out to be a futile exercise for China, as it has failed to win the hearts and minds of the Tibetan people.
Khedroob Thondup
Former member of the Tibetan parliament in exile
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