Hugh Edward Richardson
"Between 1936 and 1950 I spent nine years at Lhasa as representative
first of the British Government of India and later of the Government
of Independent India. There was no doubt that the Tibetan Government
then conducted its own affairs with complete independence. Although
there was a small group of Chinese officials left surreptitiously at
Lhasa after the departure in 1934 of the mission of Huang
Mei-Sung to condole on the death of the 13th Dali Lama, they
were, in effect, there on sufferance and had no evident influence and
no control over the affairs of the Tibetan Government. They were
evicted in 1949. Moreover on quite extensive travels in Central Tibet
I saw no Chinese presence whatever. The Communist invasion in 1950 was
an unprovoked assault on a free and independent country; and what
happened since and what is still happening is a demonstration of crude
military imperialism and an obsessive attack on Tibetan religion and
civilization and a denial of Tibetan rights to self-determination.
This is reinforced by the swamping of the country and the Tibetan
population with hordes of Chinese military and civilian settlers. Any
trace of Tibetan resistance is put down with savage severity."
May the 100 Voices for a FREE TIBET be heard and help bring about
peace, freedom and happiness for Tibet and Tibetans !
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