'Peaceful Liberation'?
1) http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/march/31/newsid_2788000/2788343.stm
This is an article by the BBC (British Broadcasting Company) and is written about the invasion of the Tibetan Plateau by the Peoples Republic of China in 1951 and the Dalai Lama (Tenzin Gyatso) escape into India for asylum with approximately 80,000 Tibetan follower refugees following during the following months. It also touches on the situation today and how the capital, Lhasa is now Han majority Chinese and governed by a pro-Chinese puppet, called the Panchen Lama of whom isnt recognised by the Dalai Lama. It talks briefly also about what the Chinese soldiers did upon capturing the capital including shelling the Dalai Lamas summer palace with around 800 shells destroying the ancient building as well as around 300 houses in the Palaces vicinity. The Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in the year 1989 for his peaceful resistance to the oppression of his people and a model for all oppressed peoples the world over.
2) http://articles.cnn.com/2012-01-09/asia/world_asia_china-monks-fire_1_tibetan-people-kirti-monastery-tibetan-monk?_s=PM:ASIA
A CNN article about the self-immolation of two Buddhist Tibetan monks in the Aba Tibetan- Qiang Autonomous prefecture. The two monks set them selves on fire in the south west China provence, Sichuan in protest against the Chinese occupation of their homeland and the erosian of their culture after over 60 years of Chinese occupation. The Chinese government in defense says that it has improved the lives of Tibetans and their standard of living and accuses the Dalai Lama, the spiritual exiled leader of Tibet as promoting the suicide attempts. The Dalai Lama refuses these claims.
3) http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/guides/456900/456954/html/nn1page1.stm
This page by the BBC gives a brief summary of the history of the invasion and the events that led up to it. It touches on the fact that since the 13th century following Mongol rule, that it has been under Chinese control on and off and been under influence. In 1910 the Chinese Empire (then not communist until 1949) led a military invasion and captured the region until 1911, the time of revolution in the mainland. Until the 1940's Tibet operated as an independent nation. Yet Tibet's independance was only temporary as things changed upon China becomin g a communist state under Chairman Mao Zedong in in the year 1949. Since then Tibet has being under Chinese rule and is till this day. The article also touches on how the Tibetans feel their culture is under threat and how artifacts of cultural and historical significance have been destroyed as well as monasteries. This is a good article giving an overview of what led to the invasion and current plight of the long oppressed Tibetan people.
4) http://ca.news.yahoo.com/dalai-lamas-china-talk-envoys-resign-033236700.html
This article touches on the proposed talks between the leaders of the exiled Tibetan government and Beijing and also on the suicide protests against oppression under Chinese rule. Also some envoys resign from their positions after long frustration ofver the situation.
5) http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jul/06/china-plans-theme-park-tibet
An article about the proposal by Chinese (PRC) officials of building a theme park located approximately a mile from the city center of Lhasa, the capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region. The proposal hopes to attract 15 million tourists to the region of just over 3 million people by the year 2015. Some of the park will be themed on a Chinese princess called Wencheng who was the neice of the a seventh century Tang ruler who married a Tibetan of the Yarlung dynasty. This park will supposedly bring in money and tourism to boost the economy of the low populated region and hope to show through the tale of the Princess the idea of ethnic harmony. However the proposed park has brought up controversy by ethnic Tibetans who claim that it benefits Han Chinese more than the Tibetans themselves. Another reason why Beijing officials want the park built is to take pressure off the Jokhang monastery and the Barkhor. It is estimated to be constructed within the next 3 to 5 years at a cost of 18 billion Yuan over 1980 acres. Residential and commerial developments will be included.
6) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/tibet/9428783/Tibet-is-a-better-place-than-it-used-to-be.html
An article by the Telegraph UK that examines the claims that Tibet is becoming a better place than what i t used to be before the occupation. It touches on how 95 percent of the overall Tibetan population before 1959 were illiterate not being able to read or write. The article also examines Tibetan Buddhism and the influence of Tibeatn culture in music and how Tibetan style restaurants have been opening up all over China. The Chinese writer (Liu Xiaoming) also claims Tibetan culture is well preserved. A contrast to my other 10 links on the issues of occupation.
7) http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/26716194
This is a scan of an original newspaper clipping from the Australian Associated Press talking about the then 'supposed' invastion by Chinese forces into Tibet. It talks about the Tibetan/ China provincial border town of Kanjey of which is 650 miles north of the nations capital Lhasa being occupied by Chinese forces. The northern Tibetan provinces of Kaham and Thajido were occupied. This is a good article as it was written at the time of the invasion and by the way it is written it shows how some official sorces (in Calcutta) denied the claims.
8) http://ca.news.yahoo.com/tibet-exiled-pm-admits-dalai-lamas-shoes-hard-004822670.html
An article about the new Prime Minister in exile Lobsang Sangay talking about how he believes the Dalai Lamas shoes are hard to fill in and his own statement of "When I ran for the election I always thought I was coming to Dharamshala to serve the Tibetan people, and work under the Dalai Lama," Sangay told reporters in New Delhi. But I never thought that he would give us the surprise by saying 'you are on your own -- take all the political authority I have, and fill in the shoes and lead the Tibetan movement forward'. Even though to the shock of many Tibetans the Dalai Lama has stepped down from his political role and Sangay taking up position as PM, The Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso remains the spiritual leader of Tibetans.
9) http://indigenouspeoplesissues.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15442:tibet-dalai-lama-in-uk-as-self-immolations-amongst-tibetan-nomads-rise&catid=31&Itemid=64
This is another article about the suicide protests of Tibetans recently (over 30 to count). It touches on the concerns of European parliaments towards the forced state housing of 1.5 million 'Drokpa' (Tibetan nomads who make up a third of the approximate 6 million Tibetan ethnic population) and how their nomadic way of life is under threat and is also a cause of concern to the exiled spiritual leader of Tibet, the Dalai Lama. The Drukpa nomads are the second largest nomadic group in the world following Mongolia.
10) http://www.ajc.com/news/nation-world/exile-leader-says-tibetan-1502520.html
The latest article of a Tibetan exile setting himself on fire in the Indian capital New Delhi. Over 50 Tibetans have been reported as doing this form of protest in the last 2 years alone. The Tibetan political leader in exile, Lobsang Sangay is disapointed that these suicidal protests havent gained much attention on the world stage as the suicide of a Tunisian man sparked the Arab Spring.
