FACTS ABOUT TIBET
Historically Tibet enjoyed a fully independent entity as a nation except for a few cases where it came under various degrees of foreign influences. There were times when the Tibetan empire expanded its area of influence by conquering some parts of China and making the Tang Empire pay an annual Tribute to Tibet. Later, the boundaries were marked by installing and erecting treaty pillars at the capitals of each country with equal status.
Following the 1911 Chinese Revolution that led to the downfall of the Qing Dynasty, the 13th Dalai Lama issued a proclamation reaffirming the independent status of Tibet on 14th February 1913. The proclamation was issued to dispel the doubts of the international community that the neighboring nations have a say on the Sovereignty of Tibet. Since then Tibet enjoyed a fully independent nation status, which can be justified under international law.
In 1949, China invaded Eastern Tibet and forcefully captured Chamdo in October 1949.
On May 23, 1951, the Tibetan delegations in Peking were forced to sign a 17-point agreement with the threat of large-scale military retaliation on Tibet.
On 10th March 1959, When the situation in Tibet become critical and the security of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama was threatened by the presence and the pressure of the Chinese Communist forces.
The Tibetans from all three traditional regions of Tibet rose against the Chinese forces and took to the streets of Lhasa, and defended the national sovereignty. Many of the participants in the Uprising were later imprisoned or executed for their actions.
Tibetan Uprising Day is observed every year on March 10, to commemorate the 1959 Tibetan Uprising against the presence of the people’s Republic of China in Tibet.
On 17th March 1959, His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama along with more than 80,000 Tibetans sought refuge in India.
Under Chinese Rule
| More than 1.2 million Tibetans have been killed. | Over 6,000 monasteries have been destroyed. |
| Thousands of Tibetans are still imprisoned for exercising their fundamental rights. | Tibet’s natural resources and fragile ecology are being irreversibly destroyed. |
| There is evidence suggesting that Tibet is being used for the dumping of nuclear wastes. | Tibetans (6 million) have been outnumbered by Chinese (More than 7.5 million) in Tibet. |
| Tibet, once a peaceful buffer state between India and China, has been transformed into a vast military base. |
Silent Songs of Sonsnow 