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  • Essay / Examination of the relationship between factors, concepts and problems in Tibet and the notion of colonialism as a useful theory

    Table of contentsHistory of TibetDalai LamaThe traditional way of life modified by forced assimilationLanguageReligionSelf-immolationOne China/Chinese Single Unitary/Central RuleConfucianism/Collective PunishmentConclusionThe history of Tibet and China provides a basic understanding of the fundamental problems facing China's invasion of Tibet. Additionally, the history of spiritual figures such as the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama provides insight into Tibetan values ​​and cultural relativity. When examining self-immolations in Tibet, it is important to discuss the religion and lifestyle of this ethnic minority. When the way of life and religious freedom are threatened by colonial rule, the action of setting oneself on fire takes on more meaning for the reader. Finally, understanding that Tibet does not want to be China, it wants to be Tibet. Forced assimilation oppresses Tibetan citizens and reinforces the Chinese vision of “One China.” All of these factors make colonialism a useful topic when discussing the Chinese invasion of Tibet. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay History of TibetLocated in southwest China, Tibet has a long history between the different empires and kingdoms of its past. It was in 1913 that the 13th Dalai Lama proclaimed Tibet an independent country after the overthrow of the Qing dynasty by the Xinhai Revolution. Under the Dalai Lama, Tibet had its own currency, passports, army and national flag. After the 1948 communist revolution in China, he took over Tibet and invaded the republic in 1950. While the People's Republic of China controlled Tibet, the 14th Dalai Lama staged an uprising against Chinese rule in 1959 The revolt failed and led him to flee into exile in India. Subsequently, many other Tibetan citizens also fled into exile, which had a considerable impact on religion in Tibet. “In the past, throughout Tibet, there were a total of about 110,000 monks and nuns. Of these, 10,000 fled abroad, leaving around 100,000 people behind. After the democratic reform, the number of monks and nuns living in monasteries was around 7,000 people, a reduction of 93 percent.” Not only the spiritual members leaving the monasteries were also destroyed. “Of the 2,500 monasteries that once existed, only 70 remained,” and 98 to 99 percent of the estimated 1,900 monasteries in Kham and Amdo were also destroyed. "Since then, the People's Republic of China has controlled Tibet and incorporated the province into Tibet China. Under Chinese control, the Tibetan people face oppression, imprisonment, severe punishment, violations of human rights and is forced to abandon his Tibetan identity Historically, if Tibet had remained an independent country, it would have been the 10th largest country in the world. After the invasion of Tibet in 1950, China. divided the territory without regard to territories and ethnic boundaries. Under Chinese control, parts of Tibet were renamed and incorporated into the Chinese provinces of the People's Republic of China. Tibetan culture There has been Chinese immigration to Tibet with government control of language, religion, culture and identity. Some areas of Tibet now have more Chinese citizens than Tibetans. Opportunities have also diminished under the Chinese government due toeconomic development favoring Chinese migrants over minority Tibetans. Before Chinese control, Tibet had a distinct culture with different language, religion and traditions, but under "One China", these values ​​are being assimilated into a majority culture. Dalai LamaThe Dalai Lama is a title given to a spiritual leader of the Tibetan people. under a Buddhist faith. They are the chief monk of Tibetan Buddhism and also play a role in the governance of Tibet. The name Dalai Lama is a Mongolian title meaning "Ocean of Wisdom" and according to Buddhist beliefs, the Dalai Lama is the reincarnation of an ancient Lama. The concept comes from the Gelug tradition which is one of the biggest influences in Tibetan culture. Gelug tradition founded in the 14th century follows the teachings of Je Tsongkhapa who was a 15th century scholar monk “This tradition placed strong emphasis on the monastic system as the basis for the study and practice of the teachings of the Lord's Sutra and Tantra Shakyamuni.” Tsongkhapa founded the tradition shortly after Palden Atisha, an Indian Buddhist master, visited Tibet in the 11th century. The teaching of Palden Atish dates back to Buddha Shakyamuni, founder of Buddhism. The current Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso is the 14th monk. to hold the title and he was born in 1935. He has been in exile since 1959 after the Chinese invasion of Tibet. Another important lama in Tibetan culture is the Panchen Lama. Choekyi Nyima was named the 11th Panchen Lama by the Dalai Lama, but only. a few days after the announcement, he was taken into protective custody by China and has not been seen publicly since May 17, 1995. Shortly after, the Chinese government named Gyaincain Norbu the 11th Panchen due to the disappearance of Nyima. Tibetans and the Tibetan government in exile. do not recognize Norbu as the Panchen. They call it “Panchen Zuma” (fake Panchen) or “Gya Panchen” (Chinese Panchen). The Dalai Lama is considered an enemy of the state because he is at the heart of Tibetan culture. which threatens the idea of ​​a “one China”. Tibetan citizens want to be recognized as an ethnic group distinct from the People's Republic of China. “The Chinese government wants me to say that Tibet has been part of China for many centuries. Even if I made this statement, many people would just laugh. my statement will not change past history. History is history. "The traditional way of life modified by forced assimilation. The Tibetan population practices a way of life unique to their culture and ethnic origin. They have a nomadic tradition that few people know about. The Tibetan plateau is the highest and the world's largest. It has been home to many Tibetan nomads for centuries, but has also been subject to strict control and enforcement by Chinese authorities. Threats to their way of life have posed a challenge. with centuries-old traditions. “The traditional way of life of Tibetan nomads faces challenges, including political pressures, forced resettlement by the Chinese government, climate change and rapid modernization” The Chinese government is destroying their way of life. moving more than two million nomads from their lands to new urbanized settlements. In a 2017 article from the International Campaign for Tibet, they talk about the change in their traditional way of life: “On the land.” The Tibetan Plateau of Qinghai Province pioneered the PRC's official nomadic settlement policies, which gave authorities greater administrative control over people's movements and lifestyles. “Tens of thousands of Tibetan herders have been forcedto slaughter their livestock and move into newly constructed housing. settlements located in or near cities, abandoning their traditional way of life. The Chinese government benefits financially from this isolated region through “large-scale mining of copper, gold, silver, chromium and lithium.” Many Tibetan herders have begun to appeal the new policies, saying: "Suppressing citizens' grazing rights is against the constitution, against national and local laws, and a major cause of damage to people's livelihoods and way of life." life of the population. Calling is rare because of the risk of being imprisoned, tortured or killed for speaking out against the government. The ban based on their traditional grounds directly impacts their unique ethnic values ​​and traditions. The man was questioned about the government's use of the land and explained how culturally the land embodies his religion and values . “Tibetans do not learn the value of land through science but through our religion and the way our ancestors protected our land for thousands of years. Land destruction, mining of sacred mountains and lakes is much more than pollution and environmental destruction. It is a violation of our traditions, our religious beliefs and the destruction of the heritage of our ancestors.” Moving them from their land to newly built homes near cities forces them to assimilate into majority Chinese culture. The government does not view land as a cultural factor but simply as an economic culture that contributes to its "one China" agenda. LanguageThe group of 25 languages ​​descended from Old Tibetan is known as "One China". Tibetan languages ​​are spoken throughout China, India and Pakistan. The 25 languages ​​include about a dozen major dialect groups and a dozen minor dialect groups. The most common Tibetan language is Standard Tibetan or “Lhasa Tibetan”. It is an official language of the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. An estimated 8 million people speak Tibetan languages ​​worldwide, of whom approximately 1.2 million speak Standard Tibetan. Tibetan is distinct from Chinese languages ​​and uses a different alphabet and script. After the invasion of Tibet, Chinese replaced it as the official language in schools and business. Due to university entrance exams being taught in Chinese, many young Tibetans can no longer read and write in Tibetan. Primary and secondary education is provided in Mandarin, continuing this trend of forced assimilation. To succeed, Tibetans must know how to speak the official language of China and therefore sacrifice their own culture and language. As a result, public figures like Khenpo Kartse, a respected monk well known for his work to preserve Tibetan language and culture, have emerged. Even with the risk of being arrested or punished by Chinese authorities, Kartse provided local language lessons. Unfortunately, on December 6, 2013, Kartse was arrested and sentenced behind closed doors. Although he was recently released after serving a two-and-a-half year sentence, there are reports that he was mistreated while incarcerated. The International Campaign for Tibet reported that "his health was of concern in detention as medical problems known before his detention were not treated, he was kept in a cold cell and lacked food." » Religion Many Tibetan Buddhists dedicate their lives to the belief. and participate daily in religious customs.The People's Republic of China wants to control and limit this practice in order to weaken Tibetan identity. One of the largest and most important institutes of Tibetan Buddhism in the world is under threat from the Chinese government. Located in Sichuan, the Larung Gar Buddhist Academy was handed over to Communist Party officials to manage the institute. This comes as the center has already faced multiple demolitions and orders to reduce the Buddhist population living there. The downsizing took place over several months during which the center was demolished, requiring the use of explosions. The government ordered the population to drop from 10,000 to 5,000 while enforcing stricter religious freedom laws. “The administrative takeover of Larung Gar by a Party official shows that the government's goal was not simply to reduce numbers in the colony,” said Sophie Richardson, China director at Human Rights Watch. “Chinese authorities also impose pervasive control and surveillance on all levels of activity within religious communities. » Additionally, monks and nuns expelled from Larung Gar are required to participate in patriotic re-education programs. “The rehabilitation of these displaced monks and nuns requires the study of Chinese policies and regulations regarding Tibet.” Monks and nuns participated in self-immolations to protest the government's oppressive rule Chinese. They demand freedom and respect for human rights. Since March 2009, more than 150 people have set themselves on fire in protest, some as young as 15 years old. In November 2013, a young monk named Tsering Gyal set himself on fire and gave his friends a powerful message about self-immolations. He was quoted as saying: “Today I set myself on fire to unite Tibetans inside and outside Tibet. My only wish for you is to be united and work for the preservation of the Tibetan language and tradition. If we do these things, Tibetans will be reunited. » Tsering Gyal was ready to set himself on fire to preserve his Tibetan culture and identity. Another young monk named Sonam Topgyal left a letter before setting himself on fire. His letter stated that the oppressive Chinese government is erasing their existence by silencing their culture, religion and traditions, which strips them of everything they are. The letter said: “The Chinese authorities are suppressing [the Tibetans] with their violent and brutal law, demolishing our religion, traditions and culture and causing environmental devastation. Meanwhile, people have absolutely no freedom of expression and cannot express their grievances.” They cannot grieve the loss of themselves because the way they grieve has been taken away from them. The Chinese government's response paralleled the propaganda already available against the protesters. The government does not care about the well-being of Tibetans who set themselves on fire, but instead uses security forces and punishes the families and communities of protesters. The few protesters who survived their self-immolation were arrested by the government and little is known about their condition or whereabouts. The Chinese government's lack of interest calls into question respect for the lives of minorities. These are human beings willing to die and in an extremely painful way in the hope that people will understand their frustration and despair. One China/One Unitary Chinese/Central RuleThe People's Republic of China is made up of a multitude of ethnic minorities. Under the government.