preview

Tibet is better off in China

To many in the West, Tibet is a mystical Buddhist utopia which has been crushed under the jackboot of Chinese rule ever since the Red Army invaded in 1950. The Tibetans’ spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, is a ubiquitous and popular presence on the global lecture circuit. It seems difficult to find fault with his campaign for a peaceful path to greater autonomy, even more so when you hear of the Chinese assault on local culture and their sporadic crackdowns on dissent.

But Beijing claims differently. It disputes Tibet’s historic claims to independence, and recalls that, when Mao sent his troops in, he was actually liberating this mystical mountainous kingdom from a brutal feudal tyranny. China says it has modernised Tibet under Communist rule, and brought the masses out of poverty. Should we believe them?

This Controversy is part of our membership service. Existing members, please sign in. If you would like access to our regularly updated, expanding catalogue of controversies become a member now.