From a legal standpoint, Tibet has to this day not lost its statehood. It is an independent state under illegal occupation.
Tibet has maintained a unique culture, written and spoken language, religion and political system for centuries.
In 1912, the 13th Dalai Lama - Tibet's political and spiritual leader - issued a proclamation reaffirming Tibet’s independence: "We are a small, religious, and independent nation." The country had its own national flag, currency, stamps, passports and army; signed international treaties, and maintained diplomatic relations with neighbouring countries.
In 1950, the newly established Communist regime in China invaded Tibet, which was rich in natural resources and had a strategically important border with India. Tibet today is under China’s occupation.
The Chinese government justifies its occupation by claiming that Tibet has been part of China for around 800 years. Its claim is not supported by the facts.
Because China denies Tibetans inside Tibet the right to speak freely, it isn't possible to say exactly what their goals are - but their opposition to China's current rule is clear.
Protesters in Tibet repeatedly call for the protection of Tibetan identity, for freedom, for human rights and for the return of the Dalai Lama to Tibet. Some call for "Rangzen" (independence from China).
In exile, the 14th Dalai Lama has established a democratic government (known as the Central Tibetan Administration) which currently advocates for the “Middle Way Approach" (MWA), which he first proposed in the 1980s. The MWA proposes that Tibet remains a part of the People's Republic of China but with far greater control over its own affairs.
Tibet's legal status
The People's Republic of China (PRC) claims that Tibet is an integral part of China. The Tibetan Government-in-Exile maintains that Tibet is an independent state under unlawful occupation.
If Tibet is under unlawful Chinese occupation, Beijing's large-scale transfer of Chinese settlers into Tibet is a serious violation of the fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, which prohibits the transfer of civilian population into occupied territory.
If Tibet is under unlawful Chinese occupation, China's illegal presence in the country is a legitimate object of international concern. If, on the other hand, Tibet is an integral part of China, then these questions fall, as China claims, within its own domestic jurisdiction.
The Tibetan national flag
The issue of human rights, including the right of self-determination and the right of the Tibetan people to maintain their own identity and autonomy are, of course, legitimate objects of international concern regardless of Tibet's legal status.
China makes no claim to sovereign rights over Tibet as a result of its military subjugation and occupation of Tibet following the country's invasion in 1949-1950. Instead, it bases its claim to Tibet solely on its theory that Tibet has been an integral part of China for many centuries. China's claim to sovereignty over Tibet is based almost exclusively on self-serving Chinese official histories. Chinese sources portrayed most countries with whom the emperor of China had relations, not only Tibet, as vassals of the emperor.
When studying Tibet's history, Tibetan sources should be given primary importance; foreign sources, including Chinese ones, should only be given secondary weight.
Songsten Gampo, the son of King Namri Songsten, who established the Tibetan Empire
Tibet's history
Tibet has a history dating back over 2,000 years. A good starting point in analysing the country's status is the period referred to as Tibet's "imperial age", when the entire country was first united under one ruler. There is no serious dispute over the existence of Tibet as an independent state during this period.
Even China's own historical records and treaties Tibet and China concluded during that period refer to Tibet as a strong state with whom China was forced to deal on a footing of equality.
International law protects the independence of states from attempts to destroy it and, therefore, the presumption is in favour of the continuation of statehood.
This means that, whereas an independent state that has existed for centuries, such as Tibet, does not need to prove its continued independence when challenged, a foreign state claiming sovereign rights over it needs to prove those rights by showing at what precise moment and by what legal means they were acquired.
Tibetan stamp, currency and military parade displaying Tibetan flag
China's present claim to Tibet is based entirely on the influence the Mongol and Manchu emperors exercised over Tibet in the 13th and 18th centuries, respectively. To claim that Tibet became a part of China because both countries were independently subjected to varying degrees of Mongol control, as the People’s Republic of China does, is absurd.
This relatively brief period of foreign domination over Tibet occurred 700 years ago. Tibet broke away from the Yuan emperor before China regained its independence from the Mongols with the establishment of the native Ming Dynasty. Not until the 18th century did Tibet once again come under a degree of foreign influence.
The Ming Dynasty, which ruled China from 1368 to 1644, had few ties to and no authority over Tibet. On the other hand, the Manchus, who conquered China and established the Qing Dynasty in the 17th century, embraced Tibetan Buddhism as the Mongols had and developed close ties with the Tibetans.
On the political level, some powerful Manchu emperors succeeded in exerting a degree of influence over Tibet but they did not incorporate Tibet into their empire, much less China. Manchu influence did not last for very long. It was entirely ineffective by the time the British briefly invaded Tibet in 1904.
The 13th Dalai Lama
Neutral and independent
From 1911 to 1950, Tibet successfully avoided undue foreign influence and behaved, in every respect, as a fully independent state. The 13th Dalai Lama emphasised his country's independent status externally, in formal communications to foreign rulers, and internally, by issuing a proclamation reaffirming Tibet's independence and by strengthening the country's defences.
Tibet remained neutral during the Second World War, despite strong pressure from China and its allies, Britain and the USA. The Tibetan Government maintained independent international relations with all neighbouring countries, most of whom had diplomatic representatives in Lhasa.
The attitude of most foreign governments with whom Tibet maintained relations implied their recognition of Tibet's independent status. The British Government bound itself not to recognise Chinese sovereignty or any other rights over Tibet unless China signed the draft Simla Convention of 1914 with Britain and Tibet, which China never did.
Women's uprising day in Lhasa 1959
Chinese invasion and occupation
The turning point in Tibet's history came in 1949, when the People's Liberation Army of the PRC first crossed into Tibet. After defeating the small Tibetan army, the Chinese Government imposed the so-called "Seventeen-Point Agreement for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet" on the Tibetan Government in May 1951.
Because it was signed under duress, the agreement was void under international law. The presence of 40,000 troops in Tibet, the threat of an immediate occupation of Lhasa and the prospect of the total obliteration of the Tibetan state left Tibetans little choice.
From a legal standpoint, Tibet has to this day not lost its statehood. It is an independent state under illegal occupation.
What is China’s argument on Tibet?
1. China says: Tibet is part of China
China's argument:
Tibet was absorbed about 800 years ago during the Yuan Dynasty, becoming an inseparable part of China. It has not been a country since and no country has ever recognised Tibet as an independent state.
The facts:
It’s true that whilst Tibet maintained a unique culture, written and spoken language, religion and political system for centuries, it has never been a nation-state in the modern sense of the word.
At times in its long past, Tibet has influenced and been influenced by various foreign powers, including Britain and the Mongols, as well as China.
However, the Chinese government’s claim that Tibet has been part of China for around 800 years isn't supported by the facts.
Tibet was not ruled by the Chinese government prior to the 1950 invasion. In 1912, the 13th Dalai Lama - Tibet's political and spiritual leader - issued a proclamation reaffirming Tibet’s independence and the country maintained its own
national flag, currency, stamps, passports and army. It signed international treaties and maintained diplomatic relations with neighbouring countries.
From a legal point of view Tibet remains an independent state under illegal occupation, a fact that China wishes it could whitewash from history.
2. China says: Old Tibet was backwards and needed China to liberate it
China's argument:
From 1950 to 1959 China peacefully liberated and democratically reformed Tibet, ending the old feudal serfdom where brutality was rife; a hell on earth with the backwards masses enslaved by landlords and priests. This culminated in Serf Emancipation Day in March 1959 when the Tibetan government was declared illegal.
The facts:
In 1950, the newly established Communist regime in China invaded Tibet, which was rich in natural resources and had a strategically important border with India.
With 40,000 Chinese troops in its country, the Tibetan government was forced to sign the "Seventeen Point Agreement" which recognised China's rule in return for promises to protect Tibet's political system and Tibetan Buddhism.
Far from welcoming the Chinese as liberators, Tibetans across the country continued to resist China’s armed forces and China responded with widespread brutality.
Resistance culminated on the 10th of March 1959, when 300,000 Tibetans surrounded the Potala Palace to offer the Dalai Lama protection. This date is commemorated as National Uprising Day by Tibetans and supporters.
In 1950, many states that are today stable democracies were undemocratic and did not respect human rights. The 14th Dalai Lama was a teenager when his country was invaded and was never able to govern Tibet independently. In exile, he has won the Nobel Peace Prize and has entirely democratised the exiled Tibetan government. In contrast, the Chinese government continues to have no democratic authority.
China claims that its vision of a brutal past justifies its occupation. But Tibet under Chinese rule has experienced brutality on a massive scale – from the destruction of thousands of monasteries and the deaths more than one million Tibetans in Mao’s era, to torture, arbitrary arrests and the denial of fundamental freedoms today.
3. China says: Tibet already has autonomy
China's argument:
Tibet already has autonomy as the Tibet Autonomous Region of the PRC. Tibetans are free to follow their traditions and Tibetan Buddhism is protected.
The facts:
This map shows historic Tibet – the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) is only part of this and millions of Tibetans live outside it.
The TAR has autonomy in name only. In reality, the most senior political position there has never been occupied by a Tibetan and Beijing is in charge. The official language is Chinese, with many Tibetan children losing their ability to speak and write Tibetan. Resistance to China's rule - from singing to environmental protests – is met with
repression and brutality.
As for the right to follow Tibetan Buddhism freely, monasteries are subject to monitoring and control by the Communist Party and monks and nuns are feared and often persecuted by the Chinese regime. Any Tibetan possessing an image of the Dalai Lama risks imprisonment.
4. China says: Tibetans are prosperous and happy under China’s rule
China's argument:
Since China peacefully liberated Tibet it has seen glorious development: there’s almost zero poverty, disease and hunger; life expectancy has doubled; literacy has risen from 5% to 85% and former slaves have been given land. There has also been huge investment in infrastructure, jobs, housing, schools and hospitals.
The facts:
China’s propaganda images, like this one, are designed to show how happy Tibetans are. This couldn't be further from the truth, with Tibetans left disadvantaged in their own country. For example:
- Infrastructure projects enable the movement of China’s military, mass immigration of Chinese workers, Chinese tourism and access to Tibet’s rich resources. They enforce China’s control.
- Economic growth benefits Chinese businesses and workers, and the booming tourism industry aims to legitimise the Chinese government’s occupation.
- Millions of Tibetan nomads have been forced from their lands, ending their centuries-old way of life and leaving them dependent on the state as second class citizens in their own country.
- Education is primarily taught in Chinese, disadvantaging Tibetans who can only learn their mother tongue as a second language.
- The United Nations has repeatedly challenged China on human rights abuses in Tibet, including finding Tibet the worst area for child malnutrition in China.
- Since March 2011, more than 130 people have set themselves on fire inside Tibet in protest against China's repression.
- From shouting “Tibet needs freedom” in the street to attending a mass protest, Tibetans resist China’s policies daily. Despite more than 60 years of occupation this resistance to China remains undiminished and widespread.
Tibet has seen economic progress, as have most countries in the last sixty years, but Tibetans have benefited less than Chinese immigrants. Economic progress has not deterred them from rejecting Chinese rule and the evidence shows that Tibetans are far from “happy” under China’s rule.
5. China says: The Dalai Lama wants power, not peace
China's argument:
The Dalai Lama is the latest in a line of "God King Dictators" - he is a politician in monk’s clothing whose agenda is to secure an independent Tibet which he can rule again. Global Tibet supporters - and some Tibetans inside Tibet - naively buy into lies created by the "Dalai Lama clique".
The facts:
The Dalai Lama is respected by people the world over. In exile, he has devolved his political power to a democratic institution and is a consistent advocate of friendship with the Chinese people and dialogue with the Chinese government. He does not seek an independent Tibet but a
"Middle Way" approach (external link) which seeks greater freedom for Tibetans without independence.
Much of the global support Tibet has today is thanks to the Dalai Lama’s popularity. Despite persecution, the Tibetan people inside Tibet remain dedicated to him.
Desperate to maintain its grip on Tibet, the Chinese government is desperate to undermine the Dalai Lama’s credibility
6. China says: Free Tibet supporters are anti-China
China's argument:
The Free Tibet movement is supported by Western anti-China forces. Human rights are China’s internal affair and Westerners who have never been to Tibet have no right to speak against China’s policies.
The facts:
Free Tibet supporters have no argument with the Chinese people. They support Free Tibet because they see Tibetans as victims of the undemocratic Chinese government and see Tibetans’ unwavering struggle for freedom as a just cause.
Chinese people are also victims of the Chinese Communist Party’s rule and many also face severe punishments in resisting its policies. When they learn the truth beyond their government’s propaganda, many Chinese people also support Tibet.
At Free Tibet we share the stories of Tibetans who resist China's rule and who are victims of China's human rights abuses. These voices are hidden from the Chinese government’s official communications. We receive no support from any government or political organisation.
We expose the truth and many people around the world choose to support Tibetans.
China is desperate to smother the truth
The truth is not on China’s side, so it must continue to lie.
Daily the Chinese government is spreading its arguments on Tibet through official statements and propaganda, paid online commentators and even
fake social media accounts.
We were interested in mutual help and friendship, but we Indians could also not forgot the 1962 agression, the plans of Chinese to divert the Brahmaputra, the support the terrorist act with veto power, providing weapons to our neighbours.
