Social relations between Tibet and China have been extremely hostile and have dated back to the 7th century. Originally, both Tibet and China were under rule of foreign conquerors such as the Mongols and the Manchu. Throughout history, various factors have contributed to the belligerent relationship between the Tibet and China, but they were only social. The hostility between Tibet and China is due to various social issues such as uprisings across Tibet in 2008, the Dalai Lama’s exile, and China’s lack of religion.
The social uprisings across Tibet in 2008 caused extreme hostility between the Tibet and China because that year was the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, and China was forced to produce an image of harmony. According to the New York Times, “Chinese security forces violated international law in suppressing the protest by indiscriminately beating, detaining and fatally shooting civilians in towns across the vast Tibetan plateau in western China.” These riots began in March 2008, and many prominent figures in society such as students, executives, and artists were arrested on some charges of treason or causing a split between Tibet and China. The New York Times described the uprising as a “social nightmare” for the Communist power in rule. To boost their worldly image, communist China needed to create a harmonious image. This image would distract the world from their ongoing hostility towards Tibet. To create a harmonious image, China attempted to make Tibet wealthier and more Chinese. The belligerent relationship between China and Tibet was made worse due to these uprisings across Tibet, and it only angered China more that they had to produce a harmonious image to appeal the world.
The Dalai Lama fled into exile in 1959, and his exile is one of the reasons for the hostility between Tibet and China because Tibet lacked a representative authority to protect them from Chinese invasions. The current Dalai Lama is Tenzin Gyatso, and he escaped during Lhasa the uprising in 1956-1959. Because of the failed revolt, the current Dalai Lama was forced into exile. This exile proved to be a cause for much uprising because the Chinese destroyed the Dalai Lama’s temple and killed thousands of civilians. The Dalai Lama leaving proved to be a careless and selfish mistake, as it facilitated the Chinese take over of Lhasa, and Tibet was left defenseless. However according to the New York Times, in 2009 the Dalai Lama said, “the Chinese Communist Party had transformed Tibet into a “hell on earth” and that the Chinese authorities regarded Tibetans as “criminals deserving to be put to death.”” The angry speech included a furious tone and drove the wrench between Tibet and China even deeper. The Dalai Lama’s exile began the downward spiral of the relationship between Tibet and China.
Tibet and China have a great contrast in their religious policy; Tibet follows Buddhism while China is a communist nation, without any sort of religion. This lack of religion further splits the two nations apart because one doesn’t understand the regulations of the other. Another major issue is that after the uprising in Tibet in 2008, China tried to cover up the revolt by attempting to make Tibet wealthier. However, China’s idea of “making a nation wealthier” is making them their mirror image. China is trying to make Tibet more Chinese by imposing their communist ideas on them. This provokes further uprisings within Tibet against the Chinese government, which further splits the two nations apart. Overall, the harsh relationship between Tibet and China was worsened due to the social problems including uprisings and lack of religion and an authority figure.
Works Cited:
Works Cited:
- "HISTORY OF TIBET." HistoryWorld. Web. 02 May 2012. <http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=aa71>.
- "Tibet." News. 28 Mar. 2012. Web. 02 May 2012. <http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/international/countriesandterritories/china/tibet/index.html>.
- "Tibetan Buddhism." BBC News. BBC, 14 Jan. 2004. Web. 02 May 2012. <http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/buddhism/subdivisions/tibetan_1.shtml>.
- Smith, Warren W. Tibet's Last Stand? the Tibetan Uprising of 2008 and China's Response. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2010. Print.
Cristian, while the exile of the Dalai Lama and the religious differences intensified the tensions between Tibet and China, I do not believe they are the ultimate reasons for the tensions. It is true that the exile of the Dalai Lama was the decisive moment where Tibet and China’s struggle began; however, the cause lies in why China decided to invade Tibet and exile the Dalai Lama, rather than the act itself. The religious differences between Tibet and China provide a good reason for their struggle; however, there is not enough evidence to say that it is the ultimate reason. China’s ultimate reason for invading Tibet was a desire to increase the strength of China. China’s insecurity over the numerous years of exploitation provided China with an intense desire to be recognized as a power. Tibet proved to be a useful territory for China, and thus they decided to annex China. When Tibet refused, China sought to express their power over Tibet in order to annex it and display its strength. The Dalai Lama’s exile was their attempt to diminish the strength of Tibet and thus, make it easier to conquer.
ReplyDeleteCristian, you make some strong points in your argument suggesting that the root of tension between Tibet and China is strictly social. However, that is very nearsighted. While the Dalai Lama’s exile from Tibet proved to be a decisive issue that led to a bitter struggle between China and Tibet, we can’t forget about how important the stranglehold of the Tibetan economy by China is. While China is able to bask in its own glory because of its economic success, we need to take into account what it is doing to its territories like Tibet. The Tibetan population is getting poorer at the hands of the Chinese government. The rural areas of Tibet are full of Tibetans who are unable to live off of their land because of poverty. Agriculture is being affected extraordinarily by Chinese water projects. You have to take this into consideration when you think about why Tibet feels oppressed by China.
ReplyDelete- Jake
Cristian, I agree that the Chinese oppression of Tibet is a social issue caused by the tensions formed between China and Tibet after the Dalai Lama was exiled and by their contrasting views on religion, but this is also an economic and political issue. As I explained in my post, the Chinese government exploits Tibet for its natural resources in order to sustain its growing population. Its own natural resources are being exhausted because of its constant use by the massive population, and therefore, it relies on Tibet, a weaker nation, in order to sustain its growing population. With its leader, the Dalai Lama, in exile, the Chinese have found this incredibly easy to do. The Chinese believe that they were right in invaded Tibet because they still consider it to be an area of China, not a sovereign nation. Also, I completely agree that the Dalai Lama made a mistake in leaving his country during the Chinese invasion because he should have remained in Tibet to help his people through this crisis, even if it was through nonviolent means as the Tibetan’s national religion, Buddhism, advocates. I agree with your argument, but you must also recognize these factors in order to understand the real reasons for this crisis in Tibet.
ReplyDelete-Victoria
All of you make excellent points on the issue between the hostility between the two nations. I agree with both Jake and Victoria on their arguments about their economic struggles, like when China exploits Tibet for their resources in order to make themselves stronger. I also see where Sweeney is coming from when he argues that China was only asserting their power because Tibet had questioned China's true strengths. I will try to be less nearsighted when considering certain reasons behind the tension between Tibet and China. I now realize that social problems are a strong reason behind the struggles between these two nations, but I must also assess their political and economic issues as well.
ReplyDelete- Cristian