Tibet Case Study
1. Background
Geography: Tibet is located in the Himalayan Mountains, between China and India (highest region on earth, “the roof of the world”).
Religion:
Ethnicity:
2. History until cultural revolution/Chinese “occupation”
Geography: Tibet is located in the Himalayan Mountains, between China and India (highest region on earth, “the roof of the world”).
Religion:
- Tibetans have a traditional theocratic style of governance, therefore religion is closely linked with political life
- 10/40 of the Tibetan-parliament-in exile are reserved for Buddhist leaders
- Dalai Lama recognized as Tibetans and Buddhists as a spiritual leader and “the rallying point for ethnic-nationalistic mobilization and opposition”
Ethnicity:
- Tibetan mythology indicates that there were 4 traditional tribal groups: Don, Ton, Se and Mu…this being said:
- Primary component of ethnic groups originate from the tribal regions along the China-Tibet border (Qiang). The Qiang and Han Chinese were in conflict with one another-this conflict would ultimately lead to the forced relocation of Qiang groups into the Tibetan plateau. The Qiang are regarded in Tibetan mythology as “foreigners” and are said to have absorbed the Mon.
- Influences from: Mongols
- Tibetan identity based largely on traditional ethnic conflict between the Han and Qiang – The treaty ending military conflict between China and the Tibetan empire in 822 indicated that “Tibetans shall be happy in the land of Tibet and Chinese shall be happy in the land of China”
2. History until cultural revolution/Chinese “occupation”
- In general, due to the isolationist nature of the country, little is known about its history of Tibetan traditional society prior to 20th century.
- During the Qing empire, the Tibet question was largely ignored (as China was distracted by European imperialism)
- Tibet was technically considered a part of Chinese territory; but years of a sort of salutary neglect allowed Tibet to maintain its cultural, ethnic and national identity
- Qing dynasty ended in 1911, and in 1912 the Dalai Lama and rejected Chinese hegemony in Tibet. This event is considered to be the “Tibetan declaration of independence.”
- Followed by a period of struggle between the Chinese, Tibetans and British—Tibet ultimately maintained a British-defined status of “Chinese suzerainty”
- Colonial feuds between China and Britain at the beginning of the 20th century helped to intensify Tibetan nationalist sentiments
Notion of Tibet as a feudal theocracy
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- China says: Tibetan society was characterized by inequalities prior to Chinese intervention. The government emphasizes the need for the eradication of serfdom.
- Tibet says: While a feudal society existed in Tibet prior to Chinese intervention, it was not as restrictive as traditional definitions of feudal societies might imply: The serfs had property rights and rights to legal action against the estate owner. Additionally, serfs were able to accumulate wealth and prestige through private endeavors. Labor/crop quota required by landlords was typically no more than the taxes of that era.
Chinese “Invasion:”
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- Without assistance from the international community, Tibetan delegates were left with no choice but to travel to Beijing. In Beijing the Tibetan government signed the 17 point agreement for the Liberation of Tibet
- 17 point agreement-
> Specified that Tibet would have to “return to the big family of the Motherland”
> Tibet would accept Chinese political and military presence
> Characterized by the Chinese government as an internal agreement (not an international treaty) so as to
dispute the notion of Tibetan sovereignty.
> The traditionally Tibetan territories of Eastern Kham and Amdo were excluded from the 17-point agreement
and its provisions. This would cause tension in the years to come
- Goal of PRC’s intervention was to make Tibetans more class conscious than nationalist and reinforce the notion of “nationalism as a bourgeois phenomenon”
- 1956 Khampan uprising in response to the implementation of the PRC’s democratic reforms; PLA responded with military force.
- The “Great Leap Forward” programs were introduced in an attempt to collectivize Chinese agricultural production and boost industrialization; the reforms intensified the Khampan uprisings and prompted yet another revolt in 1959
- Tibet proper was not affected by the “Great Leap Forward” programs; but Tibetans living in the disputed territories were afected by famine and oppression.
- During the 1959 Rebellion, the Dalai Lama fled to India. The Chinese saw this as an opportunity to dissolve the Tibetan local government and put in place a system of “democratic reforms”
- The “democratic reforms” suspended the existing feudal system and “liberated” the Tibetan serf population though a land redistribution process.
- During the Cultural Revolution-Tibetan artifacts/temples were destroyed and Tibetan people were prompted to conform to Chinese values.
- Mao’s death in 1976 signaled the end of the Cultural Revolution and allowed for a rebirth of Tibetan nationalism. Since 1989, the PRC has rejected any and all aspects of Tibetan nationalism.
Genocide?
Cultural Genocide?
- There have been claims of forced sterilization and abortion in Tibet and many have compared China’s one-child per family policies to Nazi Germany’s “final solution”
- In reality, Tibetan workers and cadres could have two children and peasants/nomads faced no restrictions.
- China has not responded to these claims; but has published pamphlets calling the charge of genocide a “fantastic lie.”
- Population statistics are often unreliable and biased
- UN committee 1959 found that the Chinese government was committing “genocide against Buddhists” in that it was arbitrarily killing Buddhists in an attempt to eliminate the religious practice; this charge was taken as a blanket charge for all of China’s activities in Tibet
- In the end, population statistics indicate that the Tibetan population has grown immensely in recent years, which would refute charges of genocide.
Cultural Genocide?
- In addition to the charge of population genocide, Tibet activists have also charged China with cultural genocide
- Claim that Han Chinese populations have “invaded” Tibetan territories; despite the cryptic nature of most statistics, Chinese migration has created economic issues for many native Tibetans
- Many Tibetans claim that their traditional handicrafts cannot possibly compete with cheap Chinese counterparts: “Now I get 10 Yuan for selling a 350 Yuan cabinet. The Chinese are taking over because they sell cabinets cheaper. They build a standard cabinet in four days. Tibetans take seven to eight days. But the Chinese work isn’t as good. They don’t care as much.”-Tibetan carpenter