Modern Political History of Tibet

Friends of Tibet is a New Zealand organization that provides lengthy account of events in Tibet’s history from 127 BCE until 1959, when the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, was exiled from his homeland.

The Japan Times explains how the Chinese government, though it is officially atheist, has attempted to determine how Tibetan Buddhism is practiced, including how Tibetans choose their spiritual leaders.

BBC provides a timeline of significant events in the political history of Tibet. The chronology begins with the unification of Tibet in the 7th to 9th centuries, and traces a narrative through the birth of the 14th Dalai Lama and Chinese takeover of the 1950s. Nine events listed from 2007 to the present help readers understand contemporary Tibet, in addition to the conflict’s roots.

The Office of Tibet in London presents a white paper entitled, “Invasion and illegal annexation of Tibet: 1949-1951.” The piece discusses the conditions surrounding the Tibetan signing of the Seventeen-Point Agreement, a document affirming Chinese sovereignty over Tibet, as well as the events that transpired during China’s invasion.

The New York Times published an opinion piece in 2008 by Elliot Sperling, director of the Tibetan Studies program at Indiana University, in which he attempts to clarify the historical accuracy of Tibet’s assertion that it is, and always has been, an autonomous country, and China’s assertion that Tibet has been a Chinese province since it was conquered by the Mongols.

PBS Frontline’s “Dreams of Tibet” page presents links to a variety of documents discussing the impact of China in Tibet.

The New York Times has a Tibet homepage on which readers will find the latest Times articles about the country, as well as highlights from the paper’s archive. In addition, the page hosts multimedia features, an overview of Tibet and a timeline of Tibetan protests.

The Guardian aggregates the latest news from Tibet. In addition to a list of the most recent Guardian headlines on the country, the Guardian offers useful links, Tibet-related blog posts, multimedia and interactive guides.

Phayul.com is a Tibet news site operated by Tibetans in exile. The site provides news, opinion and press releases, along with audio and video content, and discussion forums.

The China Internet Information Center is an “authorized government portal site to China … published under the auspices of the State Council Information Office and the China International Publishing Group in Beijing.” It can be searched for the latest information on Tibet, as presented by the People’s Republic of China.

Free Tibet campaigns “for an end to the Chinese occupation of Tibet and for the fundamental human rights of Tibetans to be respected.” Visit the site for information on how to become involved, or for background on Tibet’s culture, economy, environment and politics, and the state of human rights in Tibet.

International Campaign for Tibet is the world’s largest NGO advocating for the freedom of Tibet. Its site hosts a variety of resources for understanding Tibet and Tibetan culture, learning about legislative advocacy, finding news reports from Tibet and participating in the campaign.

The Heritage Foundation hosted a discussion on the future of Tibet with a group of Asian scholars from several think tanks. A complete video file of the lecture is available at the Heritage Foundation Web site.

The Office of Tibet in London has a translation of “The Guidelines For Future Tibet’s Polity And Basic Features of Its Constitution,” which was written by the Dalai Lama in 1992.