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Ad-Hoc "The End of Karma: The Cabinet of Dalai Lama" SouthMUNC IV GEOGRAPHY Tibet is a historic and autonomous region of China that is often called “the roof of the world.” It occupies a vast area of plateaus and mountains in Central Asia, including Mount Everest. It is located in the mountainous southwest region of the People’s Republic of China. It is bordered by the Chinese provinces of Qinghai to the northeast, Sichuan to the east, and Yunnan to the southeast; by Myanmar (Burma), India, Bhutan, and Nepal to the south; by the disputed Kashmir region to the west; and by the Uygur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang to the northwest. The country is home to 2.9 million people, and its economy is based on agriculture. Before the 1950s Tibet was largely isolated from the rest of the world. It constituted an unique cultural and religious community, marked by the Tibetan language and Tibetan Buddhism. Little effort was made to facilitate communication with outsiders, and economic development was minimal. Tibet’s incorporation into the People’s Republic of China began in 1950 and has remained a highly charged and controversial issue, both within Tibet and worldwide. Many Tibetans (especially those outside China) consider China’s action to be an invasion of a sovereign country, and the continued Chinese presence in Tibet is deemed an occupation by a foreign power. The Chinese, on the other hand, believe that Tibet has been a rightful part of China for centuries and that they liberated Tibet from a repressive regime in which much of the population lived in serfdom. There is truth in both assertions, although public opinion outside China (especially in the West) has tended to take the side of Tibet as an independent (or at least highly autonomous) entity.The map above shows Tibet as the Chinese government views it - as an autonomous region within China. There is no question, though, that the 14th Dalai Lama, Tibet’s exiled spiritual and temporal leader, has become one of the world’s most recognizable and highly regarded individuals. HISTORY Tibetan history, as it has been recorded, is particularly focused on the history of Buddhism in Tibet and written history appears around the 7th century. This is partly due to the pivotal role this religion has played in the development of Tibetan and Mongolian cultures and partly because almost all native historians of the country were Buddhist monks who arrived in Tibet at the time. Although the history of the Tibetan state started in 127 B.C., with the establishment of the Yarlung Dynasty, the country was first unified in the 7th-9th Centuries A.D., under King Songtsen Gampo and his successors. Mongol Influence As Genghis Khan's Mongol Empire expanded towards Europe in the West and China in the East in the 13th Century, Tibetan leaders of the powerful Sakya school of Tibetan Buddhism concluded an agreement with the Mongol rulers in order to avoid the conquest of Tibet. The Tibetan Lama promised political loyalty and religious blessings and teachings in exchange for patronage and protection. The religious relationship became so important that when, decades later, Kublai Khan conquered China and established the Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368), he invited the Sakya Lama to become the Imperial Preceptor and supreme pontiff of his empire. The relationship that developed and continued to exist into the 20th Century between the Mongols and Tibetans was a reflect of the close racial, cultural, and especially religious affinity between the two Central Asian peoples. The Mongol Empire was a world empire and, whatever the relationship between its rulers and the Tibetans, the Mongols never integrated the administration of Tibet and China or appended Tibet to China in any manner. In 1598, Mongol Altan Khan established the first Dalai Lama. The Dalai Lama is the main spiritual leader in Tibetan Buddhism. During Mongol rule, Tibet had almost full autonomy in their rule. Not until the 18th Century did Tibet again come under a larger degree of foreign influence. Relations with Manchu, Gurkha and British Neighbors Tibet developed no ties with the Chinese Ming Dynasty (1386-1644). On the other hand, the Dalai Lama, who established his sovereign rule over Tibet with the help of a Mongol patron in 1642, did develop close religious ties with the Manchu emperors, who conquered China and established the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). The Dalai Lama agreed to become the spiritual guide of the Manchu emperor, and accepted patronage and protection in exchange. This "priest-patron" relationship (known in Tibetan as Choe-Yeon), which the Dalai Lama also maintained with some Mongol princes and Tibetan nobles, was the only formal tie that existed between the Tibetans and Manchus during the Qing Dynasty. It did not, in itself, affect Tibet's independence. On the political level, some powerful Manchu emperors succeeded in exerting a degree of influence over Tibet. Thus, between 1720 and 1792, Emperors Kangxi, Yong Zhen, and Qianlong sent imperial troops to Tibet four times to protect the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan people from foreign invasions by Mongols, and Gorkhas or from internal unrest. These expeditions provided the emperor with the means for establishing influence in Tibet. He sent representatives to the Tibetan capital, Lhasa, some of whom successfully exercised their influence, in his name, over the Tibetan government, particularly with respect to the conduct of foreign relations. At the height of Manchu power, which lasted a few decades, the situation was not unlike that which can exist between a superpower and a satellite or protectorate, and therefore one which, though politically significant, does not extinguish the independent existence of the weaker state. Tibet was never incorporated into the Manchu Empire, much less China, and it continued to conduct its relations with neighboring states largely on its own. Manchu influence did not last very long. It was entirely ineffective by the time the British briefly invaded Lhasa and concluded a bilateral treaty with Tibet, the Lhasa Convention, in 1904. Despite this loss of influence, the imperial government in Peking continued to claim some authority over Tibet, particularly with respect to its international relations, an authority which the British imperial government termed "suzerainty" in its dealings with Peking and St. Petersburg, Russia. Chinese imperial armies tried to reassert actual influence in 1910 by invading the country and occupying Lhasa. Following the 1911 revolution in China and the overthrow of the Manchu Empire, the troops surrendered to the Tibetan army and were repatriated under a sino-Tibetan peace accord. The Dalai Lama reasserted Tibet's full independence internally, by issuing a proclamation, and externally, in communications to foreign rulers and in a treaty with Mongolia. Tibet in the 20th Century Tibet's status following the expulsion of Manchu troops is not subject to serious dispute. Whatever ties existed between the Dalai Lama and the Manchu emperors of the Qing Dynasty were extinguished with the fall of that empire and dynasty. From 1911 to 1950, Tibet successfully avoided undue foreign influence and behaved, in every respect, as a fully independent state. Tibet maintained diplomatic relations with Nepal, Bhutan, Britain, and later with independent India. Relations with China remain strained. The Chinese waged a border war with Tibet while formally urging Tibet to "join" the Chinese Republic, claiming all along to the world that Tibet already was one of China's "five races." In an effort to reduce Sino-Tibetan tensions, the British convened a tripartite conference in Simla in 1913 where the representative of the three states met on equal terms. As the British delegation reminded his Chinese counterpart, Tibet entered the conference as "independent nation recognizing no allegiance to China." The conference was unsuccessful in that it did not resolve the difference between Tibet and China. It was, nevertheless, significant in that Anglo-Tibetans friendship was reaffirmed with the conclusion of bilateral trade and border agreements. In a Joint Declaration, Great Britain and Tibet bound themselves not to recognize Chinese suzerainty or other special rights in Tibet unless China signed the draft Simla Convention which would have guaranteed Tibet's greater borders, its territorial integrity and fully autonomy. China never signed the Convention, however, leaving the terms of the Joint Declaration in full force. Tibet conducted its international relations primarily by dealing with the British, Chinese, Nepalese, and Bhutanese diplomatic missions in Lhasa, but also through government delegations travelling abroad. When India became independent, the British mission in Lhasa was replaced by an Indian one. During World War II Tibet remained neutral, despite combined pressure from the United States, Great Britain, and China to allow passage of raw materials through Tibet. Tibet never maintained extensive international relations, but those countries with whom it did maintain relations treated Tibet as they would with any sovereign state. Its international status was in fact no different from, say, that of Nepal. Thus, when Nepal applied for United Nations' membership in 1949, it cited its treaty and diplomatic relations with Tibet to demonstrate its full international personality. In 1908, the then Dalai Lama fled to India when china sent in its army to control his government. In April of 1912, Chinese garrison surrenders to Tibetan authorities after the Chinese Republic was declared. When the 13th Dalai Lama returned from India that year, Chinese troops left Tibet. Tibet reasserts independence in 1913 after decades of rebuffing attempts by Britain and China to establish control. Prior to 1950, Tibet had largely functioned as a de facto independent entity, governing itself despite Beijing’s centuries-old claim to sovereignty over the region. In 1950, however, tables turned as thousands of Chinese troops invaded Tibet in an effort by The People’s Republic of China to reassert its claim on the region. During this time, the 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gaytso, officially became head of state at the age of fifteen. The turning point of Tibet's history came in 1949, when the People's Liberation Army of the PRC first crossed into Tibet. After defeating the small Tibetan army and occupying half the country, the Chinese government imposed the so-called "17-Point Agreement for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet" on the Tibetan government in May 1951. The Chinese government focuses to this document to provide evidence that Tibet is part of China, advocates of Tibetan independence claim that Tibet was forced into signing this document and giving up its sovereignty. Because it was signed under duress, the agreement lacked validity under international law. The presence of 40,000 troops in Tibet, the threat of an immediate occupation of Lhasa, and the prospect of the total obliteration of the Tibetan state left Tibetans little choice. As the resistance to the Chinese occupation escalated, particularly in Eastern Tibet, the Chinese repression, which included the destruction of religious buildings and the imprisonment of monks and other community leaders, increased dramatically. By 1959, popular uprising culminated in massive demonstrations in Lhasa. By the time China crushed the uprising, 87,000 Tibetans were dead in the Lhasa region alone, and the Dalai Lama had fled to India, where he now heads the Tibetan Government-in-exile, headquartered in Dharamsala, India. In 1963, the Dalai Lama promulgated a constitution for a democratic Tibet. It has been successfully implemented, to the extent possible, by the Government-in-exile. Meanwhile, in Tibet religious persecution, consistent violations of human rights, and the wholesale destruction of religious and historic buildings by the occupying authorities have not succeeded in destroying the spirit of the Tibetan people to resist the destruction of the national identity. 1.2 million Tibetans have lost their lives, (over one-sixth of the population) as a result of the Chinese occupation. But the new generation of Tibetans seems just as determined to regain the country's independence as the older generation was. In 1982, a high level Tibetan delegation arrived in Beijing to uphold talks with China. In 1988, the Dalai Lama offered the 'Strasbourg Proposal' calling for autonomy over domestic affairs; no progress was made. According to the office of the Dalai Lama the essence of the Middle Way Approach seeks coexistence based on equality and mutual co-operation. It is a: "non-partisan and moderate position that safeguards the vital interests of all concerned partiesfor Tibetans: the protection and preservation of their culture, religion and national identity; for the Chinese: the security and territorial integrity of the motherland; and for neighbours and other third parties: peaceful borders and international relations." The seeds of the Middle Way Approach were sewn in the early 1970s in a series of internal government and external consultations. The Dalai Lama was encouraged in 1979 when Deng Xiaoping told his brother Gyalo Thondup that "except independence, all other issues can be resolved through negotiations". The Dalai Lama agreed to pursue negotiations for a mutually beneficial and peaceful resolution rather than fighting to restore independence. He sent three fact finding missions into Tibet and wrote Deng Xiaoping a long personal letter before his representatives traveled to Beijing in 1982 to open negotiations. However, they reported that their Chinese counterparts were not interested in discussing the situation in Tibet, only the personal status and future of the 14th Dalai Lama. Nevertheless, during the 1980s, the Dalai Lama would send 6 delegations to China. In 1987, before the U.S. Congressional Human Rights Caucus the Dalai Lama unveiled the Five Point Peace Plan as a "first step towards a lasting solution". The 11th Panchen Lama controversy is a dispute about the current legitimate holder of the Panchen Lama title, a political and religious leadership position in Tibet and Tibetan Buddhism. After the death of the 10th Panchen Lama, a dispute between the Chinese leadership and the exiled 14th Dalai Lama resulted in two competing candidates. The search committee process involving monks in Tibet under strict supervision of the Chinese communist regime was disrupted when the Dalai Lama, according to the Tibetan tradition, unilaterally announced his selection of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima. However, days later, the six-year-old Gendun Choekyi Nyima, recognised as the 11th Panchen Lama, became the world's youngest political prisoner when he was taken by Chinese authorities. The leadership in China spirited Nyima away to prevent his being taken to India by the Dalai Lama's supporters and reverted to the Qing Dynasty's Golden Urn process to select Gyaincain Norbu, who currently fulfills the duties of the Panchen Lama in China. Despite the efforts made by the Office of the Dalai Lama and the PRC to quell any civic unrest within Tibet, the imprisonment of the Tibetan appointed Panchen Lama fanned the flames of hate throughout the population. However, the ultimate crackdown on the Tibetan resistance did not happen until March 2008 where what originally began as an annual observance of Tibetan Uprising Day turned into street protests by large numbers of monks from various monasteries for several days. Crowd control and arrests escalated the tensions eventually setting off a riot by thousands of Tibetans in the Ramoche section of Lhasa on March 14, 2008. When the police fled the scene, rioters looted and burned more than 1200 Chinese shops, offices, and residences and set fire to nearly 100 vehicles. In the end, an estimated 22 were dead and 325 injured. The Dalai Lama called on demonstrators to refrain from any violence, and gave interviews clarifying that his goals were not currently to seek independence from China following the rebellions. The uprisings in 2008 not only rekindle Tibet’s need for religious and political autonomy, but also set the stage for a new form of demonstration against the Chinese Government, Self-Immolation. On 16 March 2011 a young monk from Kirti Monastery named Phuntsog set himself on fire in Ngaba. Since then, there have been over 135 self immolation protests. Self-immolation protests peaked in 2012 when more than 80 took place. There have been far fewer since 2013 but they are still a feature of Tibetan resistance. These acts, along with other significant protests over the last few years, demonstrate Tibetans' fundamental rejection of Chinese rule. The Dalai Lama has said he does not encourage the protests, but he has praised the courage of those who engage in self-immolation and blamed the self-immolations on "cultural genocide" by the Chinese. The Chinese government has responded to the protests with a surge in activity by security forces, a propaganda campaign against the protesters and punishments for protester’s families and communities. Self-immolators who survived their protests have been detained and the whereabouts and condition of many of them is still unknown. China has described the protests as “violent behaviour whose aim is to create an atmosphere of terror” and accused the Dalai Lama of instigating the protests. The Dalai Lama has not called for an end to the protests but has expressed his "sadness" over them and urged the Chinese authorities to "investigate what is the cause of this symptom, of these events". In April of 2011, The Dalai Lama announced his retirement from politics and as the head of the Central Tibetan Administration. In his place, exiled Tibetans elected Lobsang Sangay to lead the government in exile. In November of 2011, the Dalai Lama formally handed over his political responsibilities to the former Harvard graduate. KEY ISSUES The main issue is the territorial dispute between China and Tibet. China believes that Tibet is a part of China, while Tibet argues that it is historically an independent country. However, this dispute can not just be looked at territorially - demography, economic development, human rights, and cultural differences also come into play. China historically believes that Tibet is part of China, while Tibet focuses on the differences between the two countries. Outside parties, such as foreign governments and NGO’s, influence the event that are going on and will be simulated in this committee. As of now, the Tibetan government is in exile in India, and they claim that Tibetan culture, traditions, and language are decreasing due to China’s influence. Conditions are very poor in the region as well, with the People’s Republic of China doing little to help. In 2005, only 11.5% of the population achieved secondary education, and the literacy rate is at a staggering low of 55% (in china it is 90% for comparison). Under the Chinese, the Tibetan flag and national anthem are also banned.. Possession of a picture of the Dalai Lama can lead to imprisonment, and freedom of speech is banned. The People Republic of China argues that Tibet has benefited considerably under their rule, such as in tourism, modernization, and manufacturing. They also heavily censor information going in and out of Tibet, and rarely allow foreign journalists into the “autonomous region”.To them, it seems as if they are doing the right thing in Tibet and helping Tibetan people. KEY INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS The United States of America: In the past, the US has provided funding to Tibet to try to overthrow the Communist Chinese government. In both the Truman and Nixon administrations sit is said that Tibetan separatists and guerilla fighters were supported to the US. But as of now, the US takes a different look on Tibet. Though they admit that the US has strong support for preserving Tibetan culture and decreasing Human Rights violations, the US acknowledges that Tibet is part of China and is not an independent country. The US cares more about building a cooperative partnership between themselves and China. Republic of India: Tibet makes up the disputed border between China and India. In addition, the Dalai Lama and 120,000 Tibetan exiles live on Indian soil. This creates some conflict and is a source of resentment from Beijing. Japan: Japan supports democracy and the non-violent struggle of Tibet. Tibetan independence has multi-party support in Japan, and Japan has assured its support to aid in the issue. UK and Northern Ireland: In the 18th century, the British East India Company visited Tibet to see if trade is possible. In 1904, the Dalai Lama was forced to flee from a British Military expedition, forcing Tibet to sign a trading agreement with Britain. In 1907, Britain acknowledged Chinese suzerainty over Tibet. In 2008, the British Government finally recognized China’s direct rule over Tibet for the first time. French Republic: In December of 2009, the French president met with the Dalai Lama. But then in April 2009, China and France restored high-level contacts. Pretty much China is too big and important of a country for western powers to mess with, especially over a topic such as Tibet. Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal: Nepal has been host to many Tibetan refugees. This has earned the country international respect. However, China has invested money into Nepal to build much needed infrastructure, forcing Nepal to crack down on Tibetan refugees. DELEGATE INFORMATION: This Ad-Hoc meeting of Dalai Lama’s Cabinet is meeting in Dharamsala, India. While some of the figures of this committee are a part of the Central Tibetan Administration, we are not acting as that body due to the outside figures involved. For the duration of this committee, this Cabinet has been given unique and exclusive powers by the CTA to deal with crises we will face. Furthermore, while the Dalai Lama gave up political control of the country in 2011, the Sikyong will be represented by one the members of your dais, thus giving this committee the legitimacy it needs to make decisions about the future of Tibet. CHARACTERS IN COMMITTEE: Note that the number next to a character name represents which delegate will be representing which character. For example, if your assignment is Delegate 2, you will be representing Boris Johnson in committee. 1.) Padma Choling - Tibet Deputy Party Chief for The People’s Republic of China 2.) Boris Johnson - British Foreign Secretary 3.) Penpa Tsering - Speaker of the Central Tibetan Administration in Washington D.C. 4.) Chen Quanguo - Party Secretary of Tibet Autonomous Region 5.) Ven Karma Gelek Yuthok - Tibetan Minister for Religion & Culture 6.) Sonam Topgyal Khorla Tsang - Tibetan Minister for Home Affairs 7.) Karma Yeshi - Tibetan Minister for Finance 8.) Ngodup Tsering - Tibetan Minister for Education 9.) Phagpa Tsering Labrang - Tibetan Minister for Security 10.) Dhardon Sharling - Tibetan Minister for Information & International Relations 11.) Choekyong Wangchuk - Tibetan Minister for Health 12.) Prakash Sharan Mahat - Nepalese Foreign Affairs Minister 13.) Jean-Marc Ayrault - French Foreign Affairs Minister 14.) Sushma Swaraj - Indian Minister of External Affairs 15.) Rajni Vyas - Mayor of Dharamsala, India 16.) Sergey Lavrov - Russian Foreign Affairs Minister 17.) Kenneth Roth - Executive Director, Human Rights Watch 18.) Salil Shetty - Secretary-General of Amnesty International