Tibet's struggle with China
by JILL SCHMELZER Reporter

H o w a rd

The Tibetan people have faced hard times for almost a half century.

Rochester native and practicing Buddhist Howard Frank spoke on the history of Tibet during the second lecture held in correlation with the 14th Dalai Lama's visit next month.

The guest speaker served as Tibetan lama Ayang Rinpoche's representative in the United States from 1986 to 2006.

Howard posed the question that seemed to be on many people's minds: why learn about Tibet?

"The more I learn about the Tibetan society, the more impressive the Dalai Lama is to me," he said.

In 1959, the Chinese communists invaded Tibetan territory, and the Dalai Lama, the country's spiritual leader, lost his political power and was forced into exile.

"The current Dalai Lama, in my opinion, is one of the best," Howard said, noting that it is the Dalai Lama who keeps the Tibetan people from fighting the Chinese.

China doesn't claim to have gained control over the area by conquest, the speaker added, noting that it is a myth that Tibet has always been a part of China.

Tibetans have struggled with the Chinese for centuries to keep their right to self-determination and run their own government, Howard said.

The rise of the Dalai Lamas occurred in the 1600s, and the individual holding the title was also the political leader of the territory until the 1959 overthrow, Howard said, noting that until then, Tibet was considered a sovereign state.

The communists invaded Tibet in 1950, killing approximately 4,000 Tibetans.

In Feb. 1951, a 15-man delegation was forced to sign the power of the Tibetan government over to China, Howard said. But he said the delegation did not have the authority to do so.

The Dalai Lama, who was 15 at the time, appealed to India, the United States and England, but the fate of the territory was complete.

In 1959, the Dalai Lama was forced to flee the area, and another 80,000 Tibetans were killed.

Monasteries, which held cultural and historical artifacts and served as educational facilities, were destroyed, Howard added.

Yet, the Dalai Lama stayed true to his Buddhist beliefs and resisted violence. In 1989, he received the Nobel Peace Prize.

Currently, Tibetans are not allowed to vote, Howard said, noting he understands why other countries don't get involved.

"They (Tibetans) have the support of people around the world, but not officially," he said, adding that there isn't an economic gain for countries such as the United States to send in military.

The future of Tibet depends on China, Howard said.