TIBET

Tibet, 'the roof of the world', is situated just under the highest peaks of the Himalayas. With an average height of 4.200 meters, Tibet is the highest inhabited country in the world, with Lhasa as its capital.

In 1949, Chinese troops invaded Tibet and defeated the small Tibetan army. Resistance to the occupation led to heavy repression by the Chinese People's Liberation Army. In spring 1959, this resistance culminated in a national people's uprising, that was brutally crushed. About 87.000 Tibetans died. The Dalai Lama escaped, together with his government and around 80.000 Tibetans, to India, were they live in exile today.

As a result of the Chinese occupation hundreds of thousands Tibetans lost their lives. Till today, the Chinese policy in Tibet is very repressive. There is no freedom of speech and religion and Tibetans are discriminated against and marginalized in the field of education, health and at the labour market. China is attempting to assimilate Tibet into China by means of massive population transfers of Han Chinese into Tibetan areas. Tibetans have become a minority in their own country.