"Tibet Independence": an outcome of colonist's invasion

The so-called "Tibet Independence" is an outcome of colonist's attempt to separate Tibet from the Chinese territory, says Awang Ciren, Director of the Institute of Contemporary Tibet, Tibet Academy of Social Science in an interview.

Tibet became an administrative region of China's early in the Yuan Dynasty in the 13th century. The "world roof" failed to escape the destiny of becoming a game of western colonists since the British opened China's door by warships in 1840. In 1904, the British troops waged savage aggression to Tibet, which, in sholars' unanimous opinions, sowed the root of the so-called "Tibet Problem".

The noble class in Tibet broke up and a pro Britain forces was formed after the British invasion. At the same time, Britain began to advocate in the world the so-called suzerain relation between Qing Dynasty and Tibet, by which they hoped to deny Chinese central government's sovereignty over Tibet, says Prof. Xu Tiebing with the Beijing Broadcasting Institute.

The central government of Qing Dynasty refused to sign the Lhasa Convention as the British troops compelled Tibetan local government to do so after they entered Lhasa in August 1904. "This means the convention is illegitimate and proves China's sovereignty over Tibet," comments Prof. Luosang Danzeng.

By People's Daily Online