Post #3317973

2026-06-14 16:31 UTC

it assumes Chinese imperialism was necessary to defeudalize Tibet It assumes Chinese Maoists aided Tibetan communists in their overthrow of the brutal theocracy that governed the country to date. Certainly possible this could have happened another way, in the same way you might argue the US could have revolted against England without the help of France. But the idea that Chinese integration with Tibet constitutes “imperialism” presumes China’s economy is parasitic - leeching resources, robbing land, and press ganging laborers for the benefit of Beijing. None of that is in evidence. Just the contrary. China and Tibet have been engaged in reciprocal mutual aid, to the benefit of both regions. Most importantly, it doesn’t justify forced sinicization Capital improvements being reframed as “forced sinicization” is just American agitprop. The Chinese government is extending education as an amenity to a province that lacked it. The Tibetans are learning Mandarin because it benefits them to speak fluently with their wealthy neighbors. For the same reason Indonesians learn English and Italians learn German, Tibetans are learning Mandarin.

Replies (1)

@shawn1122@sh.itjust.works 2026-06-14 16:51

Tibet’s communist movement sought modernization but was sidelined by Beijing. The 1950 invasion was a military annexation by the PLA, not a domestic Marxist uprising. France aided an independent American rebellion against a colonial power without occupying the US. China annexed an autonomous Tibet, replacing its government with direct Beijing rule. Beijing’s “mutual aid” masked extraction. The 1959 uprising followed vast expropriation of Tibetan land and nomadic forced collectivization, triggering famines documented by the Panchen Lama’s 70,000-Character Petition. Replacing Tibetan-medium education with Mandarin-first boarding schools is documented forced assimilation, not a mere amenity. The UN (2023) stated this system affects one million children, systematically eroding Tibetan identity. Indonesians choose English for global trade while maintaining their state language. Tibetans face structural coercion; Mandarin is legally mandated for employment, litigation, and civic survival.

Open ##3318198