Tibetan must be saved from China’s Repression
The Chinese invaded Tibet in October 1950 in a small way and by May 1951 PLA, the Chinese Communist Party troops had forcibly taken control of Tibet and forced a small delegation of the Govt of Tibet sign the 17 Point Agreement in Beijing. Later they the Chinese forced His Holiness the Dalai Lama to ratify it on 24 Oct 1951.
The agreement legitimized China’s invasion of Tibet and took away Tibet’s political independence. The agreement promised Tibet control over its internal affairs, respect for the religion and culture of Tibet and to protect the power and status of the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama.
Fearing opposition from India and the rest of the World, the Chinese were clever enough to let the Government of Tibet and the Tibetan social structure remain in place in the Tibetan polity but under the authority of China.
Slowly they started increasing their grip and consolidation. India too remained unconcerned regarding the plight of the Tibetan people. Then in 1959 sensing the next move of the Chinese Communist Party, the 14th Dalai Lama, fled into exile into India.
Immediately the PLA carried out a massive Crack down with untold brutality after which the Government of Tibet and Tibetan social structures were dissolved. Thus China did not abide by its own agreement and forcibly occupied Tibet in March 1959.
Three years later India too had to face the consequences of not opposing China for invading Tibet. The PLA attacked India and captured a large part of Ladakh. Till date both the PLA and the Indian Army are deployed face to face on Line of Control in Ladakh and across the Himalayas on the Indo Tibetan Border right upto Arunachal Pradesh.
23 May, 2023, marked 64 years since the forced signing of the 17-point agreement through which China took control of Tibet after PLA invasion of Tibet.
“It is one of the worst days in modern political history. It was the day when China forcefully asked to sign a so-called 17-point agreement with the Tibetan delegation. The Tibetan delegation then was given two options- either to sign the agreement on their responsibility or to take a full-fledged war in the Tibetan capital city,” said President of Tibetan Youth Congress.
Gonpo Dhondhup, President of Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC), is currently leading a month-long Tibet Matters March, called for international support for Tibet amid China’s repression and breaches of human rights, reported Tibet Rights Collective (TRC).
“It’s been one week since the start of TYC’s #TibetMatters rally & the energy is still going strong!” tweeted TRC.
Notably, “Tibet Matters March” comes in the wake up of the recent disinformation campaign against Dalai Lama. It started on April 29th from the state of Sikkim and will cross West Bengal and conclude at Tezpur in Assam on May 23rd 2023. The march involves over 80 volunteers from the regional chapters of TYC in India and Nepal.
Speaking on the importance of the need to educate the world about Tibet and Tibetan culture, Dhondhup said, “Our march also plays an important role in educating the masses. We were very pained and hurt by the recent incidents. It was sad to see people misjudging Dalai lama based on a few seconds of an edited video.
It has hurt the sentiments of millions of Tibetans, Buddhist followers, and admirers of the Dalai Lama around the world. So through this campaign, we aim at creating awareness among the people of what is our struggle, and what is our culture.”
After the Dalai Lama’s video of purportedly kissing a boy went viral, a group of Tibetan leaders and activists from across the globe, expressed their solidarity and support for him.
Tibet matters for India’s security, Tibet matters for global peace, and Tibet matters for the betterment of a whole section of the population and their livelihood.
Urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi and all the world leaders to raise the issue of Tibet in the upcoming G-20 meeting in September this year, Dhondhup said, “For India, we always say that Tibet’s and Tibetan people’s call for Tibet’s independence is not just for the Tibetan people. India’s security is also a key point. Since the illegal Chinese occupation of Tibet, there is a continuous border tension along the Line of Actual Control.”
He demanded that the Chinese government address the deteriorating human rights situation under its repressive role in Tibet and immediately shut down the colonial boarding schools which are there inside Tibet and eliminate the Tibetan culture and identity, reported TRC.
