•When did Tibet come under Chinese repression?

As per the Tibetan Government-in-exile, headed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tibet has been under illegal Chinese occupation since China invaded the independent state in 1949-50. However, the People’s Republic of China (PRC) insists that its relation with Tibet is purely an internal affair, because Tibet is and has been for centuries an integral part of China. With the invasion, the Chinese authorities imposed a “17-Point Agreement for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet” on the Tibetan government in May 1951. But the agreement lacked validity under international law.

•What is the status of the country?

The question of Tibet’s status is essentially a legal question, and of immediate political relevance. The PRC makes no claim to sovereign rights over Tibet and bases its claim to Tibet solely on the theory that it became an integral part of China 700 years ago.

•When did the Dalai Lama flee Tibet?

In 1959, Dalai Lama fled to India on horseback using the route through Kalimpong reaching the Dharamshala, now the headquarters of of the Tibetan Government-in-exile. According to an estimate, 87,000 Tibetans were killed in Central Tibet, in the Lhasa Uprising of March 1959.

•What is the Tibetan Autonomous Region?

The Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) is a province-level autonomous region of the PRC. The TAR includes about half of historical Tibet and its borders coincide roughly with the actual zone of control of the government of Tibet before 1959. Chinese authorities believe that TAR has ample autonomy, as guaranteed under Articles 111-122 of the constitution of China, as well as the Law on Regional Ethnic Autonomy.

•How has China cemented control over the region?

In 1985, 60,000 Chinese workers from Sichuan arrived in TAR. In 1991, The Beijing Review reported that “technicians from all over China have come to work at various construction sites and about 300,000 workers are prepared to join in the project”. Today, the Chinese outnumber the Tibetans. In the Qinghai province, for every one Tibetan, there are three Chinese — 2.5 million Chinese as against 800,000 Tibetans.

•How the conflict flared after the Panchem Lama’s death?

Following the death of the Panchen Lama, the second most important leader in Tibet, a conflict ensued in which the Dalai Lama and the Chinese Government each chose a successor. In December 1996, authorities began a crackdown called “Strike Hard” — an anti-crime campaign — forcing the Tibetans to denounce the Dalai Lama and pledge allegiance to the Beijing-appointed Panchen Lama.

•How many Tibetans have died in the revolution?

According to the exiled Tibetan government, since the invasion, over 1.2 million Tibetans have died as a direct result of China’s invasion of their nation. This figure was compiled after years of analysis of documents, refugee statements and interviews, and by official delegations sent to Tibet by the Tibetan Government between 1979 and 1983.