Will Tibetans have a homeland of their own?
Tibetans are marking 60 years since the 1959 uprising against Chinese rule.
For almost seven decades, Tibet, a Himalayan area populated mostly be Buddhists has been governed as an autonomous region of China.
Beijing claims a centuries-old sovereignty over the mountainous region, known as the “roof of the world”, but the allegiances of many Tibetans lie with the exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.
For China, he’s a separatist threat; for his followers, he’s a living God.
Huge crowds gathered at the Dalai Lama’s temple in northern India on Sunday to commemorate 60 years since the failed Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule.
Supporters of the 83-year-old spiritual leader prayed at the Buddhist shrine in Dharamsala, where the Dalai Lama established a government-in-exile after fleeing Tibet following the failed 1959 uprising.
How long can Tibetans pursue their struggle? And what’s Beijing doing to win the hearts and minds of Tibetans?
Presenter: James Bays
Guests:
Einar Tangen – Political analyst who advises the Chinese government on economic and development issues
Andrew Fischer – Professor at Erasmus University Rotterdam who researches the effect of Chinese developmental policies in Tibet
Tenzin Tsundue – Tibetan activist, writer and poet