China Rewrites Tibet History

In an Orwell like attempt to rewrite the Chinese invasion of its neighbor, Tibet's Communist Party-controlled legislature has voted to create a holiday to mark China's defeat of a pro-independence uprising 50 years ago in the Himalayan region, calling it a day of liberation from feudalism, state media reported Monday.

The 382 legislators attending the session unanimously voted to designate March 28 as "Serf Liberation Day," the official Xinhua News Agency said, citing Legqog, director of the Standing Committee of the Tibetan Autonomous Regional People's Congress.

The politically sensitive date marks the flight of Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, into exile in India as Chinese troops attacked in March 1959. On March 28 of that year, Beijing announced the dissolution of the Tibetan government and the establishment of the Tibet Autonomous Region under Communist rule.

China says Tibet has always been part of its territory, while many Tibetans say their land was virtually independent for centuries. The UN condemned the invasion of the independent nation, but like many UN declarations, nothing has been done to change the situation as the Chinese continue to occupy and colonize Tibet. See Chick's KINGS OF THE EAST.