Where China’s biological attack and US-China trade friction has brought into focus Tibet and the Dalai Lama, these issues have come into prominence in India because of the Chinese aggression in Eastern Ladakh. In December 2018, US President Donald Trump had signed into law the ‘Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act of 2018’ which promotes access for diplomats, officials, journalists and others from the United States to China’s Tibetan areas. In May 2020 US lawmaker Scott Perry introduced a bill recognizing Tibet as a separate and independent country. The bill has been sent to the White House for approval by President Trump. Whether Trump will sign it remains to seen because faced with elections he recently said he loves Indian people and he loves Chinese people. If he does sign perhaps other D-10 countries could follow suit though India doing so remains open ended.
Tibet is strategically important to both China and India. Mao Zhedong had famously said, “Tibet is the palm of China and Ladakh, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan and NEFA (read Arunachal Pradesh) are its fingers”.China annexed it to along with Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia to give depth to original China. Yet India withdrew its Army from Tibet, leaving Tibetans to the marauding PLA hordes.
Tibet is strategically important to both China and India. Mao Zhedong had famously said, “Tibet is the palm of China and Ladakh, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan and NEFA (read Arunachal Pradesh) are its fingers”. China annexed it to along with Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia to give depth to original China. Yet India withdrew its Army from Tibet, leaving Tibetans to the marauding PLA hordes. In doing so, India sacrificed the strategic buffer it had against China. Today, Tibet constitutes 26% landmass of China. Dubbed ‘Asia’s Water Tower’, Tibet is a crucial water source and store for China, its glaciers feeding Brahmaputra, Mekong, Yangtze, Indus, Sutlej, Yellow and Salween rivers. Mineral water from the plateau has become one of the region’s first commercially tapped resources. China’s biggest copper deposit is at Tibet’s Yulong copper mine. Tibet also has large iron, lead, zinc, and cadmium deposits, minerals China needs to feed its booming economy.
For similar lack of strategic sense, India let Aksai Chin also be occupied by China without a whimper; China began constructing its 2342 km long Western Highway in 1951, part of which was through Aksai Chin, and completed it in 1957 while India feigned ignorance. Tibet marks China’s western edge and is a vital link between China, south and central Asia. It was part of ancient trade routes. In 2006, China opened the first rail route into the isolated region. In 2007, it pledged to invest $13 billion in Tibet up to 2010, and build the world’s highest airport in west Tibet. Thereafter China has increased its communication infrastructure speedily right up to the border with India and is building a railway line to Kathmandu in Nepal.
Post annexation of Tibet, China demographically invaded Tibet with influx of seven million Han-Chinese to overwhelm six million Tibetans. Thereafter China went all out to kill the Tibetan culture.
Post annexation of Tibet, China demographically invaded Tibet with influx of seven million Han-Chinese to overwhelm six million Tibetans. Thereafter China went all out to kill the Tibetan culture. Some 6000 Gompas (Buddhist ecclesiastical fortifications of learning, lineage and sadhna) were destroyed. Many others were converted to prisons or shut down. On February 23, 2020, the Tibetan Government-in-Exile revealed that since February 27, 2009 at least 154 Tibetans including 128 men and 26 women had self-immolated themselves to protest against Chinese genocide that has cost the lives of a million Tibetans. Many of them were abducted and their organs harvested for contributing to the booming illegal organ trade flourishing under the patronage of Communist Party of China (CPC). Business Line of October 16, 2017 quoted a report that revealed China is carrying out systematic annihilation of the cultural heritage of Tibet with destruction of Tibetan Buddhism and religious traditions, education system through social breakdowns, lawlessness, communal disharmony, uncontrolled greed and high growth in sex trade and alcoholism, The latest CPC dictum is that all Tibetan schools must teach in Chinese language.
There is no doubt that Tibet is intimately linked to India’s security but then Claude Arpi in his book ‘Will Tibet Ever Find her Soul Again?’ describes China’s invasion, subterfuge and wily assimilation of Tibet, with India foolishly supplying rice to PLA for survival and closing down its Diplomatic Missions in Kashgar and Lhasa without even informing the Parliament.
There is no doubt that Tibet is intimately linked to India’s security but then Claude Arpi in his book ‘Will Tibet Ever Find her Soul Again?’ describes China’s invasion, subterfuge and wily assimilation of Tibet, with India foolishly supplying rice to PLA for survivaland closing down its Diplomatic Missions in Kashgarand Lhasa without even informing the Parliament. This resulted in India’s meek submission to Chinathen and for which India continues to pay. But what about Tibet getting free from Chinese rule? Is the world bothered though there are plenty of noises? What has the world done about China holding a million Uyghurs in so-called re-education camps knowing these are torture chambers both physical and mental, and horrors of CPC’s organ harvesting trade that capitalizes on Uyighurs, Tibetans and dissidents? For that matter what about supporting the democratic movement of Hong Kong? Tibetans overwhelmed demographically with China strangulating Tibetan culture coupled with moderndevelopment and induction of Tibetans into security forces has led to the feeling that Tibetans are a lost cause – wishful thinking to take on Chinese in Tibet or interfere with their internal dynamics.
Notably, concurrent to ravaging Tibetan culture China has used the message of peace from Buddhism in promoting its Belt and Road Initiative to cover its strategic intentions. But China’s atheist regime knows that the soul never dies, which is also relevant to ‘Free Tibet’. China is also worried about Dalai Lama’s optimism and belief in democracy; that political reforms must happen in China albeit gradually starting with legal reform and an end to internal censorship. On a visit to Washington in 2011, Dalai Lama had said, “They (China) always say, ‘We have no intention to expand’. I tell my Chinese friends, if everything is transparent and policy is open, there is no need to keep saying that. And if everything is a state secret, then you can 1,000 times deny such intentions, and still no one will believe you. Now the free world has a responsibility to bring China into the mainstream of world democracy.”
Students For Free Tibet (SFT) founded in 1994 is a global grassroots network of students and activists working in solidarity with the Tibetan people for human rights and freedom.
Students For Free Tibet (SFT) founded in 1994 is a global grassroots network of students and activists working in solidarity with the Tibetan people for human rights and freedom. The group uses education, advocacy, and nonviolent direct action with the goal of achieving Tibetan independence. They recently said that India and the world have now understood the imperialistic nature of China and the change in the stance of Nepal, and Chinese aggression in Doklamand Ladakh’s Galwan Valley. Yet regime change and Free Tibet may only happen if China implodes followed by global intervention. No doubt this looks impossible but history is a great leveler – Xi Jinpingmay follow Adolf Hitler and PRC split open like the Soviet Union.
Logically, India should have dumped the One China Policy Prank (yes Prank) years back and recognizedboth Tibet and Taiwan as independent countries. Recognizing Taiwan would have helped India become largely Atmanirbhar (self reliant) at least in semi-conductors, if not fully – recall India trying to buy a semi-conductor company of South Korea years back when PRC stepped in offered thrice the cost to keep India out. Hopefully Trump will approve Scott Perry’s introducing a bill recognizing Tibet as a separate and independent country, and India will also follow suit. China has never ever recognized ‘One India’ and has willfully violated India’s sovereignty repeatedly from 1960s. After a never ending trail of demarches issued by India its latest demarches issued to both Pakistan and China protesting against construction of dams on the Indus River in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir by the Pakistani government is akin to breaking the ‘spare’ umbrella of devil neighbours and pray that it rains – these demarches must be being laughed at in Beijing and Islamabad. If after the Chinese aggression India still does not recognize China as its enemy and officially denounce the ‘One China Policy Prank’ it never will.
Please wait...
The army officers are not using their brain properly and they have been surrounded by Maya. The result is that they cannot think about a proper solution to security problems. From the beginning, the majority of army officers are doubting the capability of civilian Govt. For me, PLA is like BSF or CRPF. Only the Indian army has the experience of mountain warfare. Indian army has captured Kargil and Siachen from Pakistan. Only this Govt knows the power of missiles and rockets and connected pieces of equipment like satellites. India is a superpower in missiles, rockets and satellites. Majority of the young army officers know the history of the 1962 war written by the anti-national commies. After the 1962 war, PLA has occupied in-hospital terrain of the Indian side of the Himalayas which is of no use to India. They still believe that they can capture fertile valleys in India as they have done in the case of Tibet. They are living in a fool’s paradise. But they cannot achieve their goal. Neither India can capture Tibet nor China can capture small states on the Indian side of Himalayas. That is the reason India is not interested in Tibet where the people do not know to fight against the enemy. The northern side of Tibet is not dangerous like the Himalayas. Capturing of Tibet is not difficult but not possible to hold for an indefinite period. India does not want to commit the blunder done by Russians and the USA in the case of Afghanistan. But India will ask China to get out from the Indian territory occupied by them since 1962 if they violate the 1996 agreement again. If they violate again Indian army actions will be so ferocious they have to surrender as Pakistan Army surrendered in 1971 war in East Pakistan
The border dispute between India and China can only be sorted out when TIBET IS MADE INDEPENDENT COUNTRY. SO ALL COUNTRIES SHOULD PASS AN RESOLUTION IN UN DIRECTING CHINA TO VACATE TIBET IMMEDIATELY. SIMILAR ACTION IS NEEDED IN CASE OF HONG KONG AND TAIWAN WHICH SHOULD BE DECLARED INDEPENDENT COUNTRY.
Superb one..idea expressed is more apt..as justice to Tibetan brother India a beacon of hpe need to take it in world forums actively to free Tibet Srivatsaa
Chinese leaders are the inheritors of an ancient tradition of ” barbarian control ” that has been used with an impressive degree of success against Tibetan, Uigur, and Mongol fan quan. Constant lies, struggles, mutual surveillance, denunciations, institutionalized violence, leader worship, ” Reform through Labor,” and cultural revolutions inflicted on the Tibetan people for six decades, it is a miracle that they have not altogether regressed into hopeless depravity, cynicism, drunkenness, brutality and madness. China’s population transfer is no solution.Nehru in the nearness and American Administration the then had not taken interests in China’s misdoings then. Presently Trump Administration and India should undo the mistakes committed by Nehru and the issue of Tibet is the issue of her independence which is the express wish of the Tibetan people at large.The Chinese have had a taste of free enterprise in Deng’s times, tomorrow they will demand political freedom [ Xi Jinping’s nightmare ].Democracy is pushing at China’s door and the Chinese Communist Party will have to rethink their presence in Tibet.
Until the Tibetan flag is seen flying atop the Potala, exiled Tibetans and Tibet support groups must neither rest nor become complacent.
This is not the actual map of Tibet! It’s such a sad motion for Indian defence people to follow Chinese propaganda and reduce geography of Tibet to only Tibetan Autonomous region (TAR). The actual space of Tibet includes Kham, Amdo and U -tsang. Tibet is larger in size than the map portrayed above. Tibet is matter of Indian national security. India betrayed Tibet for once and for that Indians are still paying the price with continuous violent threat from China. If you don’t man up and act now . It will cost alot in the near future.
All country should come together to stop china’ s expansion policy.if they are not given lesson ,in future it will become big threat to whole world. At ways no developed country should accept the leadership of china as a world leading .alternative manufacturing hub should be developed in india as an alternative of china.economic war against china needs to be focus rather than military action
The article is very clear. China has gifted a virus to the world. So many countries are against china for it’s secretive nature and aggression at the same time. India on the other hand enjoys good relations with the western world. This is ideal time to come out of one China policy and recognise Tibet and Taiwan as independent counties .
To tame China and to blunt it aggressiveness, India UK, USA, Canada EU, Australia, Commonwealth Countries should junk the One China Two Systems Policy and immediately recognize Tibet and Tsiwan as an Independent and Sovereign Nations. These countries should recognize a Tibetan Government in Exile and establish full diplomatic relations with Taiwan. Oil producing Muslim countries should drastically reduce the supply of oil to China and sell the oil at s premium. The extra revenue earned should be for helping the economy of poor African countries and Lstin American Countries.. An international naval tadk force to be deployed in South and East China China Seas to check and challenge China’s aggression abd expansion. Now is the time to act or never.
Is it India?or an individual who was by chance in charge of the country helped China to capture Tibet.
China has always backstabbed India through decades. India should immediately recognise Tibet as an independent country. And I am sure the whole world will follow it.
With independent Tibet India’s border will remain safe.
There’s an urgent need now for India to revisit it’s obligations to Tibet…more so now post-Galwan…
India should recognise Tibet & Taiwan as independent country to teach China that India also show political muscle.
The Fuji is absolutely right.As a first step India should recognise the Dalia Lama admin. as the legal gov.of Independent Tibet and seek UN membership for Tibet. and put a brake on the on Xi’s dangerous stupid rexpansionist policy.We have to bite the bullet and show China it’s place. Others kow toeing China will realise their stupidity.
Super article,we have to be clear to be proactive to counter China on all fronts and support the 18 countries bordering it.We have make a start,lets speed it up the process economically,diplomatically and militarily. Hongkong,Taiwan,Tibet,SE Asian countries,Japan,S Korea etc