Debunking #FreeTibet: A resource list
Starting in the 1950s, the CIA ran an aggressive program to destabilize Tibet by arming radical, religious extremists from their former ruling class.
This list of resources debunks some common claims about the Free Tibet movement which the corporate press uses to portray China as an oppressive, authoritarian dictatorship that denies Tibetan people their sovereignty. The Free Tibet movement calls for an independent Tibet and centers around the Dalai Lama, despite his recent statements in support of Marxism, China, and a unified Tibet as a part of China. The Free Tibet movement does not represent the will of people in Tibet, but rather the goals of the US State Department, the CIA, and the capitalist world to return Tibet to its days of serfdom and theocracy.
Claim: Tibetan activists genuinely want liberation from the oppression of the Chinese Communist regime
Reality: Starting in the 1950s, the CIA ran an aggressive program to destabilize Tibet by arming radical, religious extremists from their former ruling class, providing them with funding, training, and transportation, and airlifting agents and supplies from US-controlled areas of Nepal and India to incite violence in Tibet. These so-called “activists” are directly funded by the US government and enjoy a massive platform boosted by western celebrities and the media. For more on how the CIA trained operatives to destabilize Tibet and terrorize the residents, here’s a video where Rania Khalek from Breakthrough News interviews Professor Hammond from New Mexico State University.
Claim: Tibetans desire a return to their way of life, free from Communism and the yoke of Chinese oppression.
Reality: Tibetans remember the era before Communism as a time of suffering and memorialize it through their museums and stories of serfdom. Journalist and YouTuber Daniel Dumbrill explores modern Tibet, visiting a museum memorializing the serfs and meeting residents who talk about their daily lives. The tour guide at the museum describes his own family’s history as serfs under the Dalai Lama’s caste system, and the many ways the feudal lords tormented and abused their slaves.
Claim: The Dalai Lama ran a benevolent, religious society along the principles of Tibetan Buddhism, and this tradition was lost after the Communists took over.
Reality: Life was hell on earth for over 95% of Tibetans who were serfs living under brutal feudalistic and theocratic rule. Much of the misinformation surrounding the Dalai Lama stems from a western lack of understanding about Buddhism. Many westerners believe it is a pacifist religion, that Buddhists are “nice” unlike Muslims or Christians. This is a false statement rooted in orientalism and escapism. Michael Parenti writes a comprehensive article about Tibet’s colonial history, the feudal theocracy of the Buddhist Lamas, and the liberation of Tibetan serfs by the Communist Party of China. Writer’s note: some parts about modern China may be outdated as Parenti’s article is from 2007. Continue in this resource list for information on Tibetan society past 2007.
Claim: The Dalai Lama is famous because he represents freedom of religion and continues to resist the Chinese even in exile.
Reality: The Dalai Lama is famous because he has received CIA funding for decades and was given a massive platform to spread the anti-Communist narrative. In 1998, the Dalai Lama admitted to the New York Times that he collected $1.7 million from the CIA in the 1960s, including a personal subsidy of $180,000 each year. The CIA has also trained Tibetan Guerilla fighters from their former ruling class and sent them back to commit terrorism against the local population.
Claim: The Communists have brought nothing but suffering and destruction to the Tibetan way of life.
Reality: Tibetans have enjoyed major improvments in their quality of life after the Dalai Lama fled. March 28th, 1959 marks the end of serfdom in Tibet, and the date is set to become a holiday celebrating their liberation. For former serfs like Dechen Narum, it represents a reality that seemed impossible when they were enslaved. Here is an infographic of figures showing what socialism has achieved for Tibet from 1951 to 2020.
Claim: The Dalai Lama fled as the Communist forces approached his home, bringing his traditions with him.
Reality: The People’s Liberation Army arrived in Tibet in 1951, but the Dalai Lama did not flee until 1959. What happened during these eight years? The Communist Party of China tried to work with the Dalai Lama to grant him and the Tibetan leaders a large number of exemptions due to their ethnic minority status. The Tibetan ruling class was exempted from the same land collectivization policies as the rest of China. The Dalai Lama only fled in 1959 after he and his brother took part in the CIA-backed Tibetan Uprising. The attempts to sabotage socialism in Tibet did not end there. The CIA created the Special Frontier Force in a joint effort by the US and India to weaken China and contain it, including the creation of a covert force of Tibetan refugees intended to invade and destabilize China in the event of a conflict.
Claim: China is engaging in cultural genocide by suppressing the Tibetan language.
Reality: The Tibetan language isn’t being suppressed. In fact, it’s one of the languages printed on all Chinese currency, on street and road signs, and in public spaces like schools and hospitals. Tibetan children learn the Tibetan script in school, and people who move to Tibet are encouraged to learn the language.
We can’t just debunk imperialist lies about Tibet without also highlighting all that Tibetans have achieved with socialism. Orientalists and racists view Tibet as an unchanging society, stuck in the past. The reality is far different, as Tibet is a thriving and democratic society that enjoys the advancements of modern socialism. More Tibetans are now riding high speed rail, surfing 5G internet, and visiting other parts of the country than ever before.
Tian Lu, a song by Tibetans celebrating the building of the first railroad connecting Tibet to the rest of China, a milestone that granted the region easy access to resources, travel, and support from the rest of the country.
Tibetan railroad construction has continued into the modern age as high speed rail. As of 2021, Tibetans now enjoy a bullet train line connecting Llasa to the rest of the country. More Tibetans are riding high speed rail than Americans, and that is likely to remain true for decades to come.
Tibetans boast some of the best literacy rates not just in China but around the globe. Under the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s illiteracy rate was 95%. Today, all Tibetans attend school where they are educated and their culture is cherished. Tibetan Buddhism is on the rise, despite claims that Communist state atheism would suppress religious belief.
If Tibetans were a colonized and oppressed group, they would be getting more isolated and suppressed, with their access to resources cut off. China does the exact opposite, expanding their access to transit and investing in their future. Hopefully this resource list useful and educational. I will be adding to this as I discover more resources myself!
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