1959: The uprising Since the 1950 Chinese invasion of Tibet (as the Tibetans call it) or the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet (as the Chinese define it),the area has been under the Communist Party of China. In 1956,growing opposition to Chinas socialist policies spread to the Tibetan capital of Lhasa. On March 1,1959,the Chinese government invited the Dalai Lama to a play at the Chinese military headquarters but insisted that he couldnt come with his escorts. Some accounts of the events of the uprising say Tibetan authorities feared the Chinese would abduct the Dalai Lama. On March 10,1959,an estimated 300,000 Tibetans surrounded the palace of the Dalai Lama to stop the abduction. On March 17,two artillery shells landed near the Dalai Lama's palace. On March 31,the Dalai Lama crossed over to India and set up the Tibetan government-in-exile in Dharamsala,Himachal Pradesh. He was followed into exile by about 80,000 Tibetans. According to the Tibetan government in exile,an estimated 86,000 Tibetans died in the events surrounding the uprising. The issues While the primary point of dispute is the legal status of Tibet,over the years,there have been economic and ethnic disputes too. n China says Tibet has officially been part of China since the mid-13th century. Tibetans say the region was an independent kingdom for many centuries. After a military conflict between China and Tibet,Tibet declared itself independent in 1912. In 1950,China and a Tibetan delegation signed a treaty,called the Seventeen Point Agreement for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet,ceding sovereignty to China. The two sides have different views on the treaty. n China has invested in Tibet,including building a rail network to Lhasa. But Tibetans allege China is sending Han Chinese to Tibet so that Tibetans end up as the minority population. 2008: Another revolt On March 10 last year,monks from Lhasa took to the streets to mark the 49th anniversary of the first Tibetan uprising. The situation got out of hand when security forces allegedly arrested some marchers. The next day,more monks came out and the Tibetan population joined in. Five days after the uprising,China's news agency Xinhua said 19 people had died in rioting and that most of the victims were Han civilians. A crackdown followed and 220 Tibetans were killed,nearly 1,300 were injured and nearly 7,000 were detained,according to the Tibetan government in exile. But China accused the Dalai Lama of inciting the monks and trying to embarrass China before the August Olympics. 2009: The run-up As the anniversary approaches,Chinese authorities and the countrys six million Tibetans are on the edge. Last month,several Tibetans chose not to celebrate Losar,the Tibetan New Yearcelebrated for 15 days in Februaryas a mark of respect for those who died in last years clashes. Monks have held rallies in parts of Qinghai and Sichuan provinces of China. The Chinese have ordered one of their biggest troop deployments ahead of the anniversary.
