| In 1950, the fourteenth Dalai Lama, Tenzin | | | | 2009 marks the 50th anniversary of the Dalai |
| Gyatso, became Tibet's spiritual leader, shortly | | | | Lama's escape to India. The dream of the Tibetan |
| after China invaded Eastern Tibet and captured | | | | people with the Dalai Lama leading the way is |
| Chamdo, the headquarters of the Governor of | | | | freedom in their homeland. Due to his belief in the |
| Eastern Tibet. The Dalai Lama assumed power to | | | | Buddhist faith, the Dalai Lama teaches and lives |
| help Tibetans resist a Chinese takeover. | | | | only principles of nonviolence. |
| * Free Tibet demonstration | | | | His goals include preserving the freedom of |
| In 1959, a huge revolt forced His Holiness to flee | | | | Buddhism in Tibet. He cannot passively agree to |
| the country. He managed an escape to India and | | | | Tibetans surrendering their national identity. He |
| to receive protection. He continues to live there | | | | views the Chinese policy demands as cultural |
| and work for world freedom and peace. He was | | | | genocide in an attempt to remake Tibet into |
| awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 for his | | | | China. |
| extraordinary lifeworks of compassion and | | | | * Potala Palace, Lhasa |
| teachings. | | | | The Dalai Lama proposes self-government with |
| Over fifty years after Communist China invaded, | | | | the Chinese, offering a voluntary union to avoid |
| its occupation, hostility, and anti-Buddhist reform | | | | bloodshed. He supports an agreement on the |
| underlies the recent peaceful protests by Tibetan | | | | condition of receiving independence within the |
| monks. Their non-violent demonstrations were | | | | whole of Tibet. In his view, a "one-country, |
| met with heavy fisted violence from the Chinese. | | | | two-systems" arrangement requires a withdrawal |
| The Chinese refer to the six million people who | | | | of military occupation, along with economic |
| live in Tibet, counting the entire plateau, as "the | | | | freedoms. |
| Dalia Lama clique". Four million Tibetans live outside | | | | His Holiness teaches each individual on the planet |
| the present Tibet self-governing region, which is | | | | can learn to resolve issues in a peaceful, |
| less than half of traditional Tibet. After a century | | | | nonviolent way. He encourages the Chinese |
| of communist propaganda, the majority of | | | | government to remain open to peace and show |
| Chinese people are convinced that Tibet rightfully | | | | the world their strength through kindness instead |
| belongs to them. | | | | of aggression. |
| Views On Recent Tibetan History | | | | "My religion is very simple. My religion is kindness". |