Tibet not historically part of China: Tibetan Govt in Exile hit back

Dharamshala, Dec 31: The Tibetan Government in Exile on Friday firmly rejected Beijing’s contention that Tibet has always been a part of China and said that since the illegal and violent occupation of Tibet, China has oppressed the Tibetans under its brutal and draconian policy.
In a statement, the Tibetan Government in Exile vehemently condemned the letters written by the Political Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi ticking off Indian MPs who had attended a dinner reception hosted by the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile on December 22.
“Historically Tibet has never been a part of China. Since the illegal and violent occupation of Tibet, China has oppressed the Tibetans under its brutal and draconian policy.”.
It said that Tibetans living inside Tibet are deprived of their fundamental rights and the situation inside Tibet remains grim till date.
“Hence, the Tibetan issue is not an ‘internal affair’ as China has repeatedly claimed but a critical concern on Tibetan existence. The violation of international human rights law and hegemony of the neighbouring nations by China should be a concern for the international community,” it said, in a reference to China’s aggressive territorial moves against its neighbours, including India.
“China in the name of economic development has only fulfilled its growing greed and is systematically destroying Tibet culturally, environmentally and eradicating the Tibetan identity,” it said.
“Now China is displaying its dominance of free nations and democratic countries around the world including India. Despite illegally occupying Tibet and forcing a large number of Tibetans to flee the nation, China continues its surveillance upon each move of Tibetans residing across free countries.
“By sending the letters to honorable members of the Indian Parliament, it becomes evident that China is intimidated by the growing support for the Tibet movement around the world. The leaders of free countries have all their rights and responsibilities to support the just cause of Tibet and we vehemently condemn this move by China,” it said.
“The Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile does not consider it a matter of surprise because the Chinese government has been performing similar behaviour in the past. China has yet again called the Central Tibetan Administration a “separatist political group” whereas it remains the sole legitimate representative of Tibet and Tibetans across the world.
“CTA has been supported warmly by many nations in our endeavor of protecting the fundamental rights of Tibetans inside Tibet and protection of our cultural identity. The active non-violent movement of Tibet has been widely appreciated by the international community. Considering the growing aggression and propaganda narrative by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), at this date no nation would believe such a preposterous claim by China.
“Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile openly welcomes an equal and non-conditional negotiation with the Chinese government,” it said.
Zhou Yongsheng, the Political Counsellor of the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi, had written to several Indian MPs who had attended the Tibetan Government in Exile event, asking them to “refrain from providing support to the ‘Tibetan independent’ forces” and instead ”make contributions to China-India bilateral relations”.
He termed the Tibetan Government in Exile “an out-and-out separatist political group and an illegal organization completely in violation of China’s Constitution and laws. It is not recognized by any government in the world.”
He went on to claim that Tibet has been “an inseparable part of China since ancient times, and Tibet related affairs are purely China’s internal affairs that allow no foreign interference.”