The Dalai Lama
The Dalai Lama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989 in recognition of his advocacy of nonviolence in his struggle to liberate Tibet from Chinese occupation. The Nobel Committee noted that the Dalai Lama put forth “peaceful solutions based upon tolerance and mutual respect in order to preserve the historical and cultural heritage of his people.”
The movement for a free Tibet began in 1950 when the People’s Liberation Army invaded Tibet and began to systematically destroy Buddhist monasteries and arrest monks and nuns.
On March 10, 1959, the Chinese Army put down a Tibetan uprising in the capital city of Lhasa in a massive show of force. The Dalai Lama escaped to India, where he was granted asylum.
Today, more than 120,000 Tibetans live in exile. Approximately 2,000 more arrive every year in Dharamsala, India, where the Dalai Lama has established his home and a government in exile. During Chinese occupation, according to the International Campaign for Tibet, as many as 1.2 million Tibetans died through execution, torture and starvation. Tens of thousands of Buddhist monasteries and temples have been destroyed.
The Dalai Lama has evolved his stance over the years from demanding that China withdraw from Tibet entirely to a more moderate plea for “genuine autonomy” within China. Many young Tibetans prefer a harder line toward China and even advocate violence, but so far, the Tibetan people continue to follow the Dalai Lama.
Throughout the long-standing nonviolent movement, the Dalai Lama has been successful in creating awareness of the Tibetan struggle. But no nation recognizes Tibet’s sovereignty.
Despite Chinese pressure on Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper to exclude him, the Dalai Lama will join the other laureates taking part in PeaceJam.
—Brenda Gillen