Congressional Digest

Excerpt

(Excerpted From International Debates, May 2008)
Situated in southwest China on a high Himalayan plateau, and
long associated with meditation and Buddhist serenity, Tibet has a
history of periodic strife. The roots of its modern conflicts can be
traced back to the early twentieth century, when the Qing Dynasty was
overthrown in China and the Chinese Republic was established. Tibet
expelled all Chinese troops and asserted its independence under its
spiritual leader, the 13th Dalai Lama.
For nearly half a
century, Tibet functioned as a de facto independent nation, without
interference from China or any other countr…