Today marks the 50th anniversary of the Tibetan Uprising, a failed attempt at revolution by Tibetans to return to Tibetan sovereignty after being being ruled by foreign China since the invasion in 1950. 86,000 Tibetans lost their lives in this uprising, significantly more than the 5,000 lost during the invasion itself.

One year ago, on the 49th anniversary of the uprising, hundreds of Tibetan monks protested the incarceration of others who had been detained in Autumn of 2007. These protests turned political, and caused the region to descend into rioting. These protests, and subsequent unrest, are the continuing result of the foreign occupation of Tibet by China, and the widespread discontent in Tibet of that rule. According to some reports, hundreds of Tibetans were killed during the 2008 unrest, and thousands were arrested. It’s difficult to determine the specifics due to a Chinese lock-down on media in the area.

While China is a significant force in the world economy today, we should not forget the actions of that nation against the peoples it has conquered. The people of Tibet are not ruled by a government representative of them, but have been forced into submission militarily and are ruled through fear and intimidation.

Peace will always be temporary under these conditions.

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