China seems to have many problems. One of these problems is Tibet. The People's Liberation Army, in China, invaded the Tibetan region of Chamdo in 1950 and crushed all the resistance from the Tibetan army. Under PLA pressure, the Tibetan officials signed an agreement declaring China's sovereignty over Tibet. The provinces of Xikang and Qinghai in the Chinese administrative hierarchy, were outside the administration of the Tibetan government in Lhasa. This resulted in a resistance, which was supported by the CIA, that eventually spread to Tibet's capital, Lhasa. It was, however, stopped by 1959. The events cause the Dalai Lama, as well as other government officials to flee the country to India and the Dalai Lama to declare a Government-in-Exile. To this day, the People's Republic of China still continues to portray their sovereignty over Tibet. Other governments continue to make protests against their rule because of reports of human rights violations, but all still recognize the PRC as the rightful government and not the Government-in-Exile in India. The Spanish high court has announced that they will investigate reports of seven Chinese officials who allegedly participated in a genocide in Tibet. The Chinese government has also stripped a completely religious nation of their beliefs. It is considered a crime to have a picture of the Dalai Lama in your possession or posted anywhere in Tibet. They do not allow the practice of Buddhism anywhere in the country.
The Tibetan Government-in-exile, which includes the 14th Dalai Lama, believes the following:
During the Vth Dalai Lama's time [1617-1682]' date=' I think it was quite evident that we were a separate sovereign nation with no problems. The VIth Dalai Lama [1683-1706'] was spiritually pre-eminent, but politically, he was weak and disinterested. He could not follow the Vth Dalai Lama's path. This was a great failure. So, then the Chinese influence increased. During this time, the Tibetans showed quite a deal of respect to the Chinese. But even during these times, the Tibetans never regarded Tibet as a part of China. All the documents were very clear that China, Mongolia and Tibet were all separate countries. Because the Chinese emperor was powerful and influential, the small nations accepted the Chinese power or influence. You cannot use the previous invasion as evidence that Tibet belongs to China. In the Tibetan mind, regardless of who was in power, whether it was the Manchus, the Mongols or the Chinese, the east of Tibet was simply referred to as China. In the Tibetan mind, India and China were treated the same; two separate countries.
It has been determined by the International Commission of Jurists that Tibet, during the years 1913-50, demonstrated the conditions of statehood that are generally accepted under international law.
The Tibetan Government believe that the PRC only want Tibet because of it's natural resources and strategic value, and views the rule as colonial and illegitimate. That said, the Dalai Lama has also recently stated that he only wishes for autonomy and not complete separation from China, under certain conditions such as freedom of speech and belief. Many members of the Government-in-Exile do believe the opposite though, that Tibet should be its own country apart from China.
The Government of China has many different views on many different subjects:
Historical Status: The PRC, who have had control over China since 1949, and the Republic of China, who ruled China prior to 1949, maintains the position that Tibet has been a region of China since the Yuan Dynasty seven hundred years ago.
Unique Ethnicity: The current government of China states that every Chinese government has recognized that Tibet has it's own culture and language, but this does not necessarily allow for an independent state.
De facto Independence: While the ROC government had no effective control over Tibet between 1912 to 1951, it does not constitute Tibet being a completely independent state as many Chinese states were not controlled during periods of warlordism in China.
Foreign Interventions: The PRC considers all proindependence movements aimed at ending Chinese sovereignty in Tibet, including British attempts to establish control in the late 19th century and early 20th century, the CIA's backing of Tibetan insurgents during the 1950s and 1960s, and the Government of Tibet in Exile today, as one long campaign abetted by malicious Western imperialism aimed at destroying Chinese integrity and sovereignty, thereby weakening China's position in the world.
Human Rights: PRC says that the successive Dalai Lama, while controlling Tibet, violated many human rights because the country was essentially a serfdom and people in the country reported seeing slaves. However, the 1959, 1961, and 1961 UN Resolutions condemned the human rights violations that the Chinese had caused in Tibet.
Self-Determination: The earliest ROC all regarded Tibet as a part of China, but Chinese government officials have also acknowledged the principle of self-determination.
Legality:The PRC also points to what it claims are the autocratic, oppressive and theocratic policies of the government of Tibet before 1959, its toleration of existence of serfdom and slaves, its renunciation of Arunachal Pradesh which China regards as a part of Tibet occupied by India, and its association with India and other foreign countries, and as such claims the Government of Tibet in Exile has no legitimacy to govern Tibet and no credibility or justification in criticizing PRC's policies.
As for third-party opinions, no country in the world, including India, recognizes Tibet as an independent state, nor do they acknowledge the Government-in-Exile despite obvious precedents for these actions to be taken. On the other hand, the Montevideo Convention established the following four criteria for statehood in international law: (a) a permanent population, (b) a defined territory, (c) a government, and (d) capability of entering into relations with other states. Tibet meets all four of these criteria, which means it is allowed to be it's own nation.
Basically, the point of this topic is to hear your opinions on this matter. Do you support China or Tibet? What are any possible solutions to the problem?
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