His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tibet's head of state and spiritual leader, a firm believer in non-violence, tried for eight years to coexist peacefully with the Chinese. But China's systematic subjugation of Tibet's territory and its people led to a cycle of repression. On 10 March 1959, Tibetan resistance culminated in a national uprising against the Chinese. The People's Liberation Army crushed the uprising, killing more than 87,000 Tibetans in central Tibet alone.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama, members of his government and some 80,000 Tibetans escaped from Tibet and sought political asylum in India, Nepal and Bhutan. Today there are over 120,000 Tibetans in exile including more than 5,000 living outside of the Indian sub-continent. Large numbers of Tibetans continue to arrive from Tibet to escape Chinese persecution.

The United Nations passed three resolutions on Tibet in 1959, 1961 and 1965 expressing concern at the violation of human rights and called for "the cessation of practices which deprive the Tibetan people of their fundamental human rights and freedoms, including their right to self-determination."

In Exile

In exile, the Tibetan Government has been reorganised according to modern democratic principles. It administers all matters pertaining to Tibetans in exile, including the re-establishment, preservation and development of Tibetan culture and education, and leads the struggle for the restoration of Tibet's freedom. The Tibetan people, both inside and outside Tibet, consider their Government in Exile based in Dharamsala, North India, to be the sole legitimate government of Tibet.

The Tibetan community in exile functions in accordance with the Charter for Tibetans in Exile and is administered by the Kashag (Council of Ministers), which is accountable to the Assembly of Tibetan People's Deputies (a democratically elected parliament). The Tibetan Supreme Justice Commission is an independent judiciary body.

The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) is comprised of three autonomous commissions - Election, Public Service and Audit, seven departments - Religion and Culture, Home Affairs, Education, Information and International Relations, Security, Health, and one Council for planning.

Settlements, Monasteries and Institutions

The CTA, mainly through the assistance of the Government of India and various international voluntary organisations, has successfully rehabilitated Tibetan refugees in 14 major and 8 minor agricultural centres, 21 agro-industrial settlements and 10 handicraft centres throughout India and Nepal. There are also 83 Tibetan schools in India, Nepal and Bhutan with an approximate 23,000 children currently enrolled.

More than 117 monasteries have been re-established in exile; also a number of institutions, including the Tibetan Medical and Astrological Institute, the Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, the Tibetan Institute of Performing Arts, the Centre for Tibetan Arts and Crafts - all based in Dharamsala, the Central Institute for Higher Tibetan Studies in Sarnath and Tibet House in New Delhi. These institutions help to preserve and promote an ancient heritage and culture facing imminent extinction in in its own homeland, whilst enhancing the cultural life of the exile community.

Offices of Tibet

The CTA also maintains Offices of Tibet in New Delhi, New York, Tokyo, London, Kathmandu, Geneva, Moscow, Budapest, Paris, Canberra and Washington, D.C. These Offices of Tibet are the official agencies representing His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan Government in Exile.

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This site is maintained and updated by The Office of Tibet, the official agency of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in London. This Web page may be linked to any other Web sites. Contents may not be altered.
Last updated: 30-Sept-96