Tibet independence

[swatiraohnlu]

In 1950, following the rise to power of the Communist Party of China under General Mao Zedong, Chinese troops invaded Tibet. China has controlled Tibet ever since. While disputed, Tibet was effectively independent between 1912 and 1950 and for much its long history. China also claims periods in the last thousand years where Tibet was part of its region. Are Tibet's general claims to independence justified?

 

[swatiraohnlu]

Tibet recognized at Geneva conventions after WWII Michael C. van Walt, an international legal scholar and a board member of the International Campaign for Tibet. "Tibet File No.18: The Legal Status of Tibet". Cultural Survival Quarterly (Vol. 12, 1988) - "It should be noted that numerous countries made statements in the course of UN General Assembly debates following the invasion of Tibet that reflected their recognition of Tibet's independent status. Thus, for example, the delegate from the Philippines declared: 'It is not clear that on the eve of the invasion [in] 1950, Tibet was not under the rule of any foreign country.' The delegate from Thailand reminded the assembly that the majority of states 'refute the contention that Tibet is a part of China.' The US joined most other UN members in condemning the Chinese 'aggression' and 'invasion' of Tibet.'"

 

[swatiraohnlu]

China already offers Tibet a right to self-determination with a level of autonomy. Self-determination does not mean "independence", outright. It can, rather, provide a people in a certain region with a right to govern themselves on some autonomous level within a larger state. In this way, China can already be seen as offering self-determination to Tibetans through the autonomy it affords them.

 

[dimpy.handa]

Ever since 1950, an international debate has existed over Tibet's status as a region within the People's Republic of China and over the legitimacy of movements for Tibetan independence. After the end of the Cold War, international public became increasingly interested in this debate. In 2008, the debate became particularly heated on the international stage. With the 2008 summer Olympics set to occur in China, human rights advocates began shinning light on China's poor human rights record, with some proposing a boycott of the Olympics in protest. Human rights abuses in Tibet were seen simply as a part of this larger story of Chinese government abuses.