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Tibet: Difference between revisions
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<blockquote>This explosive confrontation finally erupted on March 17th. The Chinese started shelling the city and that evening the Dalai Lama and his entourage fled south in the direction of India. The demonstrations turned into an outright rebellion against the unwanted Chinese presence in Tibet that was met with full fury of the Chinese military. Fierce fighting broke out in Lhasa but the superior Chinese forces quickly overwhelmed the Tibetans, inflicting heavy casualties and damaging many buildings. From now on the Chinese dropped any pretense of “peaceful liberation” and set out to incorporate Tibet into the People’s Republic of China.<ref>Batchelor, ''Tibet Guide'', p. 32.</ref></blockquote> | <blockquote>This explosive confrontation finally erupted on March 17th. The Chinese started shelling the city and that evening the Dalai Lama and his entourage fled south in the direction of India. The demonstrations turned into an outright rebellion against the unwanted Chinese presence in Tibet that was met with full fury of the Chinese military. Fierce fighting broke out in Lhasa but the superior Chinese forces quickly overwhelmed the Tibetans, inflicting heavy casualties and damaging many buildings. From now on the Chinese dropped any pretense of “peaceful liberation” and set out to incorporate Tibet into the People’s Republic of China.<ref>Batchelor, ''Tibet Guide'', p. 32.</ref></blockquote> | ||
[[File:Samye Monastery.jpg|thumb|upright=1.4|Samye Monastery, Tibet. The monastery, which dates to the 8th century, has been rebuilt following its destruction during the Cultural Revolution and is once again an active monastery.]] | |||
== Destruction of Tibetan culture and religion == | == Destruction of Tibetan culture and religion == | ||
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Samye monastery, which was built by Padma Sambhava in the eighth century and was regarded as one of the holiest pilgrim spots in Tibet, was completely destroyed. The act of desecrating a monastery had a devastating psychological effect on those forced to do it. At Nuplung, a hamlet near Central Tibet, villagers were ordered to dismantle the local monastery and stupa. Scriptures from the stupa were mixed with manure and spread on the fields. People were crying and fainting. The caretaker went crazy. | Samye monastery, which was built by Padma Sambhava in the eighth century and was regarded as one of the holiest pilgrim spots in Tibet, was completely destroyed. The act of desecrating a monastery had a devastating psychological effect on those forced to do it. At Nuplung, a hamlet near Central Tibet, villagers were ordered to dismantle the local monastery and stupa. Scriptures from the stupa were mixed with manure and spread on the fields. People were crying and fainting. The caretaker went crazy. | ||
The Chinese have more recently permitted the limited worship and practice of Buddhism in Tibet. But the Dalai Lama has said that because of “direct and indirect restrictions on the teaching and study of Buddhist philosophy,” Buddhism is “being reduced to a blind faith.”<ref>“Documentation,” ''News Tibet'', September-December 1987, p. 3.</ref> | |||
== Destruction of the Tibetan people == | == Destruction of the Tibetan people == | ||