What Are The Circumstances Of The Chinese Occupation Of Tibet? :: essays research papers fc

â€Å"The only way to settle questions of an ideological nature of controversial issues among the people is by the democratic method, the method of discussion, or criticism, of persuasion and education and not by the method of coercion or repression.† This statement was made by Mao Tse Tung, the Communist leader of China, in February of 1957. Seven years earlier, Chinese forces had invaded and begun the destruction of Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism. The Plateau of Tibet comprises nearly the entire southeastern portion of China. Wedged between the Kunlun and Himalayan Mountain Ranges it is a beautiful plateau with breathtaking views all around it. The territory itself promotes a feeling of peace, meditation, and spirituality. The plateau is also the source of five of Asia’s greatest rivers, making it vital to the environment. Centuries ago, a very unique religion, Tibetan Buddhism, grew from the settlers of this region. This religion was based on soul-searching and meditation and highly discouraged war, violence, and any forms of negativity in thought, word, or action. The religion thrived in the region and soon became the political force of the nation of Tibet. The religion was the state; therefore there was no military until the early 20th Century, but then there was just a small, fairly ineffective army. This made the area highly vulnerable to any who wanted it. China, in 1949, became the communist People’s Republic of China. In less than one year, military forces marched into the peaceful territory of Tibet claiming that it belonged to China. This was the beginning of over 50 years of the needless slaughter and destruction of a people and religion that posed no threat to the people of China or its government. â€Å"Since that time, over 1.2 million Tibetans have been killed, 6,000 monasteries have been destroyed, and thousands of Tibetans have been imprisoned.† Nine years after the invasion by China the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s spiritual and political leader, fled the country in an attempt to save his life. He went to Dharmsala, India, a small town that lies approximately 150 miles to the East of the Tibet-India border. It is in this town that the Dalai Lama, along with over 100,000 Tibetan refugees, has set up the Tibetan government in exile. Here they continue their non-violent protest of the atrocious acts of violence committed against the followers of Buddhism that have remained in Tibet or China. The forced