
CTA released ’70 years of Occupation and Oppression’ as an official response to China’s White Paper issued in May titled “Tibet Since 1951: Liberation, Development and Prosperity”. Photo/Tenzin Phende/CTA
Dharamshala: “Having considered the varying degree of repression inside Tibet which is always followed by a series of claims and counter-claims made by the Chinese counterpart and us, the only way forward now is to have the Chinese government come on board to accept the mutually beneficial Middle Way Approach proposed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and approved by the Tibetan people as the only viable solution for a long-lasting resolution of Sino-Tibetan conflict,” said Sikyong Penpa Tsering at a press conference this morning.
Presided over by Sikyong Penpa Tsering, Secretary Karma Choeying of DIIR, CTA’s official Spokesperson Tenzin Lekshay, TPI’s Director Dawa Tsering and Senior Researcher Dr Tenzin Desal, the CTA unveiled the official document titled “Tibet: 70 Years of Occupation and Oppression“. Released a day ahead of the 72nd founding anniversary of the People’s Republic of China, this document contains CTA’s official response to China’s White Paper titled “Tibet Since 1951: Liberation, Development and Prosperity” published in May 2021. Through issuing its official response, CTA vehemently declares ‘nothing to celebrate about the day’.
In his address, Sikyong said that the 96 page-long official response released by the CTA today comprehensively highlight the factual chronological events countering China’s narrative on Tibet regarding the historical status of Tibet while also opposing China legitimising the occupation of Tibet.
“It is absolutely not 70 years of liberation, but in fact, 70 years of suppression and oppression,” Sikyong Penpa Tsering attested.
He added that the so-called ‘peaceful liberation of Tibet’ claimed by China is just a disguise to cloak the truth and misinform both the Chinese people and the global community to advance the Chinese Communist Party’s ideology.
The official response details the facts of the landmark 17-point agreement and its successive violations by the Chinese counterpart. In addition, it extensively explains the various aspects of the Party’s domination over Tibetan people to enforce their dependency on the Party. It focuses on the violations of the rights of Tibetan people perpetrated through intensive measures such as mass surveillance system in the name of national security, and marginalisation of the Tibetan language at schools as an attempt to destroy the core identity of Tibetan people.
“The Education policy implemented by China in the last 70 years is only aimed at the destruction of Tibetan language and hence, Tibetan identity,” Sikyong said.
Similarly, another infamous attempt by the Chinese government to destroy the Tibetan identity is to interfere and control the religious traditions of Tibetan Buddhism including the traditions of reincarnation in addition to diminishing the number of monks and nuns at the monasteries.
The official response also offers constructive criticism on the destruction of the Tibetan environment in the name of development and prosperity.
Read the full text of Official Response here.

Press briefing by CTA on China’s White Paper. Photo/Tenzin Phende/CTA