1987–1993 Tibetan unrest
Encyclopedia
The 1987–1989 Tibetan unrest were a series of pro-independence protests that took place between September 1987 and March 1989 in the Tibet
an areas in the People's Republic of China
: Sichuan
, Tibet Autonomous Region
and Qinghai
, and the Tibetan prefectures in Yunnan
and Gansu
. The largest demonstrations began on 5 March 1989 in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa
, when a group of monks, nuns, and laypeople took to the streets as the 30th anniversary of the 1959 Tibetan uprising
approached. Police and security officers attempted to put down the protests, but as tensions escalated an even greater crowd of protesters amassed. After three days of violence, martial law was declared on 8 May 1989, and foreign journalists and tourists were expelled from Tibet on 10 March. Reports of deaths and military force being used against protesters were prominent.
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
an areas in the People's Republic of China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
: Sichuan
Sichuan
' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...
, Tibet Autonomous Region
Tibet Autonomous Region
The Tibet Autonomous Region , Tibet or Xizang for short, also called the Xizang Autonomous Region is a province-level autonomous region of the People's Republic of China , created in 1965....
and Qinghai
Qinghai
Qinghai ; Oirat Mongolian: ; ; Salar:) is a province of the People's Republic of China, named after Qinghai Lake...
, and the Tibetan prefectures in Yunnan
Yunnan
Yunnan is a province of the People's Republic of China, located in the far southwest of the country spanning approximately and with a population of 45.7 million . The capital of the province is Kunming. The province borders Burma, Laos, and Vietnam.Yunnan is situated in a mountainous area, with...
and Gansu
Gansu
' is a province located in the northwest of the People's Republic of China.It lies between the Tibetan and Huangtu plateaus, and borders Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, and Ningxia to the north, Xinjiang and Qinghai to the west, Sichuan to the south, and Shaanxi to the east...
. The largest demonstrations began on 5 March 1989 in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa
Lhasa
Lhasa is the administrative capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China and the second most populous city on the Tibetan Plateau, after Xining. At an altitude of , Lhasa is one of the highest cities in the world...
, when a group of monks, nuns, and laypeople took to the streets as the 30th anniversary of the 1959 Tibetan uprising
1959 Tibetan uprising
The 1959 Tibetan uprising, or 1959 Tibetan Rebellion began on 10 March 1959, when a revolt erupted in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, which had been under the effective control of the Communist Party of China since the Seventeen Point Agreement in 1951...
approached. Police and security officers attempted to put down the protests, but as tensions escalated an even greater crowd of protesters amassed. After three days of violence, martial law was declared on 8 May 1989, and foreign journalists and tourists were expelled from Tibet on 10 March. Reports of deaths and military force being used against protesters were prominent.
1987
| September 27 | A demonstration in Lhasa Lhasa Lhasa is the administrative capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China and the second most populous city on the Tibetan Plateau, after Xining. At an altitude of , Lhasa is one of the highest cities in the world... was broken up on the first day by Chinese authorities. This night was reported as the black night. |
| October 1 | Riots took place in Lhasa. In total 6 people dead including a monk from the Sera Monastery Sera Monastery Sera Monastery is one of the 'great three' Gelukpa university monasteries of Tibet, located north of Lhasa. The other two are Ganden Monastery and Drepung Monastery. The origin of the name 'Sera' is attributed to a fact that the site where the monastery was built was surrounded by wild roses in... died, and two other Tibetans were injured. Official said 19 police man hurt during the conflict The demonstrators stone the police and set a police station afire. After one riot try to snatched guns from policemen, officers opened fire on the crowd in front of Jokhang Temple for "self-defense" . |
1988
| March 5 | A revolt took place at the celebration of the Great Prayer (Monlam Prayer Festival). The riots cost the lives of three persons according to Chinese sources; thirty according to the Tibetan opposition. |
| June | The Dalai Lama Dalai Lama The Dalai Lama is a high lama in the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" branch of Tibetan Buddhism. The name is a combination of the Mongolian word далай meaning "Ocean" and the Tibetan word bla-ma meaning "teacher"... , Tenzin Gyatso, muted his demands to the Chinese government. He demanded independence, although he stated as well that he would take an autonomous status for granted. |
| December 10 | Further riots in Lhasa. According to official sources one person died; unofficial sources spoke of twelve. |
1989
| January 19 | Sentences were pronounced in consequence of the arrests made during the riots of 1988 with deterrent harshness. The sentences extended from three years imprisonment to the death penalty (with delay of execution). |
| January 28 | The death of the Panchen Lama Panchen Lama The Panchen Lama , or Bainqên Erdê'ni , is the highest ranking Lama after the Dalai Lama in the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism... of Tibet, the second authority after the Dalai Lama. The Chinese government took initiative to search for his successor (reincarnation Tulku In Tibetan Buddhism, a tulku is a particular high-ranking lama, of whom the Dalai Lama is one, who can choose the manner of his rebirth. Normally the lama would be reincarnated as a human, and of the same sex as his predecessor. In contrast to a tulku, all other sentient beings including other... ). Tibetans attributed the death to murder by Chinese authorities and have been concerned about the unprecedented interference in a centuries-old tradition of succession. |
| February 6 | Riots around Monlam and the Tibetan new year (Losar Losar Losar is the Tibetan word for "new year." lo holds the semantic field "year, age"; sar holds the semantic field "new, fresh". Losar is the most important holiday in Tibet.... ). Chinese authorities cancelled the celebration of Monlam Qenmo, which precedes Losar each year. Losar took place in 1989 on February 7. |
| March 5 | A religious event ended in a massacre. Official sources speak of eleven deaths and on hundred wounded. The occasion for the massacre, according to Chinese sources, was the stoning Stoning Stoning, or lapidation, is a form of capital punishment whereby a group throws stones at a person until the person dies. No individual among the group can be identified as the one who kills the subject, yet everyone involved plainly bears some degree of moral culpability. This is in contrast to the... of a Chinese police officer; Tibetan sources claim that the event was attacked by the Chinese police. |
| March 6 | Riots spread to the center of Lhasa. Chinese stores were wrecked and as a result a state of emergency State of emergency A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend some normal functions of the executive, legislative and judicial powers, alert citizens to change their normal behaviours, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale... was called. This enlarged the power of Chinese authorities. |
| March 7 | All foreigners including journalist Journalist A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A... s were evacuated. This signified an end to the provision of information to the rest of the world on the riots. According to official sources five persons died in two days. While Tang Daxian, a former Chinese journalist present in Lhasa during that period, claims 387 casualties including 82 religious people according to report he saw from Public Security Bureau. |
| April 15 | China's former Secretary-General (until 1987), Hu Yaobang Hu Yaobang Hu Yaobang was a leader of the People's Republic of China who served as both Chairman and Party General Secretary. Hu joined the Chinese Communist Party in the 1930s, and rose to prominence as a comrade of Deng Xiaoping... died. Hu was a supporter of the withdrawal of the Chinese army from Tibet and his death led to a student protest in Beijing Beijing Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's... . The Tiananmen Square protests Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 The Tiananmen Square protests of 1989, also known as the June Fourth Incident in Chinese , were a series of demonstrations in and near Tiananmen Square in Beijing in the People's Republic of China beginning on 15 April 1989... a few months later on June 4, 1989 was crushed. |
See also
- Incorporation of Tibet into the People's Republic of China
- 1959 Tibetan uprising1959 Tibetan uprisingThe 1959 Tibetan uprising, or 1959 Tibetan Rebellion began on 10 March 1959, when a revolt erupted in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, which had been under the effective control of the Communist Party of China since the Seventeen Point Agreement in 1951...
- 2008 Tibetan unrest2008 Tibetan unrestThe 2008 Tibetan unrest, also known from its Chinese name as the 3•14 Riots, was a series of riots, protests, and demonstrations that started in Tibetan regional capital of Lhasa and spread to other Tibetan areas and a number of monasteries including outside the Tibet Autonomous Region...
- Sinicization of TibetSinicization of TibetThe sinicization of Tibet is the alleged change of Tibetan society to Han Chinese standards, by means of cultural assimilation, migration, and political reform. Sinicization on the one hand is an inevitable consequence of the presence of a large number of Han Chinese in Tibet and on the other hand...