Tibet - The Lost Homeland

You can find many Tibetans residing outside their homeland - in India, Bhutan, Nepal, Switzerland, USA and Canada. These are among the 80,000 and more Tibetans who have fled the oppressive Chinese rule in their country. If you visit Nepal, you can never fail to see the many Tibetans there carving a life for themselves outside their country.

In Oct 1949, China invaded Tibet and occupied it. Since the invasion, over 1.2 million Tibetans were killed as a direct result of this ruthless invasion and persecution. His Holiness the Dalai Lama, fearing persecution, fled Tibet secretly and moved to Dharamsala in India, where he set up the Tibetan Government-in-Exile in 1960. Today, more than 8,000 Tibetan refugees consider Dharamsala their second home.

China has steadfastly refused to return Tibet to the rightful owners and has continued to occupy it till today. Recently, the young Chinese people demonstrated violently against the wartime atrocities committed by the Japanese army, particularly in Nanjing. They certainly have a right not to be happy about that. But China also needs to look at itself about what happened in Tibet and the atrocities committed there by the PLA.

The Tibetans have been hoping and praying for the return of their homeland. The previous colonial powers like the British, Spanish and Portuguese have, a long time back, returned their occupied colonies. And, it is now, about time, for China to do likewise.