World must remember Tibet's ignored warning as it confronts China's ambitions elsewhere: Report

Lhasa: The international community must remember the warning given by Gyalo Thondup, the brother of the Dalai Lama, about Tibet in 1952 as it confronts China's ambitions elsewhere, a report said.

Thondup had warned the Tibetan government that China was preparing to consolidate its control over Tibet. However, his warning was laughed off, and Tibet paid the price, it said.

Tibet was forced to sign the 17-point agreement after the 1950 invasion, which promised autonomy, but it did not reveal China's real intentions.

Thondup's warning did not garner attention due to the Tibetan government’s isolation from international politics at the time and their faith in the agreement, cultural confidence, and underestimation of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Subsequently, Tibet did not prepare for resistance or make an appeal to the international community, resulting in the crushing of the 1959 uprising, the exile of Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama, cultural destruction, and political repression.

"The examples of Tibet, Hong Kong, and Xinjiang show that Beijing’s guarantees of autonomy have been consistently broken—a lesson for Taiwan, which is being offered 'one country, two systems.' In conclusion, scrutinising the promises of authoritarian regimes and maintaining vigilance and international solidarity are the way to preserve freedom," Khedroob Thondup, nephew of the Dalai Lama, wrote in a report in the Institute of Middle East Asia Information Strategy.

Taiwan today faces a similar situation as China promises "one country, two systems." However, Tibet's fate indicates that China's promises in practice mean assimilation and repression. Hong Kong's experience showcases that the promises of freedom are quickly revoked. Taiwan's democracy is not compatible with the CCP's authoritarianism. Taiwan has learned from Tibet's tragedy and is aware that surrendering sovereignty implies that it would lose democracy, freedom and culture, according to the report.

"In 1952, Gyalo Thondup saw clearly what others refused to acknowledge: Tibet was on the brink of losing its freedom. His warning was laughed off, and Tibet paid the price. Today, his story stands as a reminder that authoritarian regimes rarely honour their promises, and that vigilance is the only safeguard against subjugation. The world must remember Tibet’s ignored warning as it confronts Beijing’s ambitions elsewhere. To laugh off foresight is to invite tragedy; to heed it is to preserve freedom," Khedroob Thondup wrote in the report.

China maintains that Taiwan is a part of its territory and needs to be reunified with the mainland, by force if necessary. Despite China's efforts, Taiwan, backed by strong public support, continues to assert its sovereignty and responds to China's incursions. In recent years, China has increased the frequency and scale of its military exercises around Taiwan.

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