Tibet was never a part of China since antiquity: Dr Hon-Shiang Lau

DHARAMSALA, April 23: Notwithstanding China’s claim that Tibet has been a part of China ‘since ancient times’, its Pre-1949 official records overwhelmingly show that Tibet was never part of China, says Dr Hon-Shiang Lau.

Historical records from China’s Ming Dynasty (1633-1644) to China’s Qing Dynasty (1644 -1912) and prior to 1949 shows that Tibet was never treated as part of China, Dr Hon-Shiang Lau Dr Hon-Shiang Lau, a research scholar of Chinese history and former professor of City University of Hong Kong said.

Dr Hon-Shiang Lau made the remarks at a public lecture titled ‘Pre 1949 China and Tibet’ organised by the largest Tibetan NGO in exile, the Tibetan Youth Congress at Hotel Tibet here in Dharamsala on April 21.

The scholar further added that if we are to identify the so-called present-day Tibetan Autonomous Region as Tibet, then it is clear and definite that Tibet is not part of China. But the Tibetan regions outside the Tibet Autonomous Region has a complex history.

Dr Hon-Shiang Lau taught at the City University of Hong Kong for 11 years and retired in 2011 to cultivate his research interest in early Chinese history. His analysis of historical records of China’s history shows that Tibet was never treated as part of China since antiquity.

China has ruled Tibet with an iron fist since 1950 when Communist troops marched in and took control of Tibet; the communist regime calls it the ‘peaceful liberation’ of Tibet.

In 1959, the Dalai Lama had to flee Tibet to India and soon established the Tibetan government-in-exile, now called the Central Tibetan Administration.

The Tibetan Administration in exile now strives to peacefully resolve the issue of Tibet through ‘Middle Way Approach’ and seeks genuine autonomy for all Tibetans living in the three traditional provinces of Tibet within the framework of the People’s Republic of China.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *