Take a Stand!!!

The time has come to voice our opinion and take a stand against the ghastly human rights violations occurring in Tibet. We know the following paragraphs might be a bit lengthy but it is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT for you to read on because it will make a difference.

BRIEF HISTORY: Tibet was invaded by the Chinese Liberation Army in 1950 without an accepted legal basis for claiming sovereignty over the country. Prior to the invasion there were no Chinese nationals in Tibet and Tibet asserted its independence from China. There is a lot of evidence to show that Tibet was an independent country although this is disputed by the Chinese. Tibet had its own currency and postal system, its own government and diplomatic contact with other countries. Tibet has an identity wholly separate from China with its own language, religious traditions and rich unique culture.
Following the invasion China signed a "17 point agreement" with the Dalai Lama agreeing to refrain from interfering with Tibet's government and society. In 1953 Mao Zedong promised the Dalai Lama that China would leave Tibet once it's "liberation" was complete. In 1959 there was an uprising by the Tibetan people which was crushed by the Chinese. An estimated 430 000 people were killed (Chinese estimate 87 000). 100 000 Tibetans fled to India to exile with the Dalai Lama.
Since the invasion an estimated 1.2 million Tibetans have died as a result of the Chinese occupation. 6000 monasteries have been destroyed and Tibet's unique culture is under threat. There are currently still hundreds of political prisoners in Tibet in jails in which torture is routine. There is no freedom of speech and the "Tibetan Autonomous Region" has the most surveillance cameras per head of population in the world. China is relocating thousands of Han Chinese settlers to the Tibetan Plateau. Although still a minority in the population (around 7%), these settlers control the economies of major cities like Lhasa. With the advent of the China Tibet railway the threat to Tibetans from settlers will be dramatically increased as China plans to relocate millions of Chinese settlers to Tibet. There is a real risk that in the coming decades Tibetans will become a minority in their own country as has happened in Inner Mongolia.

WHAT WE ARE PROTESTING: Human rights' violations in Tibet cover civil, political economic and social issues. Arbitrary arrest and torture of prisoners-of-conscience dominate international human rights' concerns; images of His Holiness the Dalai Lama are banned and non-violent protests are suppressed with imprisonment. The population transfer of Chinese people into Tibet have made Tibetans a minority, depriving them of jobs and discriminating against their culture. Whilst Tibetans are denied political authority within their country, these practices will continue.

HOW IT DIRECTLY AFFECTS INDIA: China officially claims 90000 sq km of land in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim. But it is mainly interested in Tawang district. This district borders Tibet and Bhutan. China says that district belonged to Tibet and wants India to return it in order to settle the border dispute. China is pursuing the same policy it followed in Aksai Chin, claim-repeat the claim-grab-hold-let time pass. China openly claims Arunachal Pradesh to be a part of their country. India today has no support or sympathy from the world when China made such claims. The Indian government has not learnt any lesson from Aksai Chin. The silence from New Delhi can cost us Arunachal Pradesh. It even disturbs the local people on both sides in line of control for, which India needs to take up some bold steps. The only way out for India is to recognize Tibet as an occupied territory. India should thus, negotiate border dispute with an independent Tibet and not China. The recent eruption of violent protests in Tibet marks the high scale violation of Human Rights. The people of Tibet are struggling for the right to live in peace and to freely practice their religion. India should bring the issue on center stage, as India will also be getting affected directly from the unrest in Tibet.