ABSTRACT
Since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) in 1949 and the invasion/liberation of Tibet by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in 1950–51, parts of the Tibetan population in China and abroad have conflicted with and protested against the Chinese state. Ethnic conflict and protest in Tibet have been driven by competing understandings of Tibet’s historical status and relationship with China. Tibet was incorporated into the Qing Empire (1641–1911) in the 18th century but became a de facto independent state after the fall of the Qing in 1911. Central Tibet continued to enjoy de facto independence throughout the Chinese Republican era (1912–1949) even though Chinese successor states continued to claim sovereignty over Tibet. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which defeated the Kuomintang (Nationalist Party) in a civil war (1945–49) in 1949 had the military strength to enforce the Chinese claim. Conflicts erupted in the 1950s over CCP policies in Tibetan areas, which culminated in an uprising and the Dalai Lama’s and Tibetan Government’s flight into exile in 1959. Limited conflict continued for some years following the uprising. But as the PRC has strengthened its grip over Tibetan areas, ethnic Tibetan grievances about Chinese rule and CCP policies in the region came to be expressed through public protest rather than through open conflict.
