Jamtse Tsokpa Foundation, Tibetan-American Friendship Society


Tibet Facts
When I feel despair I remember that truth and love always prevail. There have been tyrants and murderers, and for a time they may seem invincible but in the end they always fall. Think of it . . . always. Mahatma Gandhi

Historical Tibet	Center of Asia, with an area of 2.5 million square kilometers. The Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR, created by China in 1965): less than half of historic Tibet.
Population	6 million Tibetans and an estimated 7.5 million Chinese. The Chinese population is increasing at a rate over 200,000 yearly due to a population transfer program initiated by the Chinese Government. One sixth of the total native population (1.2 million) has been killed since the Chinese occupation in 1959. Through a combination of demographic and economic manipulation, and discrimination the Chinese are attempting to suppress Tibetan culture by changing the demographic composition of Tibet and the identity of the people.
Language	The official language in The Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) is Chinese, NOT Tibetan.
Monastic Life	More than 6,000 monasteries and their contents, pillars of Tibetan culture and education have been destroyed since the Chinese occupation. To date only 11 monasteries remain and are now used as tourist attractions by the Chinese government.
Environmental Issues	Rampant deforestation in eastern Tibet, poaching of large indigenous mammals of Tibet, and nuclear waste dumping ... all initiated by Chinese authorities.
Economy/Tibetans	Predominantly in agriculture and animal husbandry.
Economy/Chinese	Predominantly in government, commerce and the service sector.
Religious Rights	Tibetans are routinely imprisoned and tortured for non-violently expressing their view. Thousands of Tibetans are imprisoned for their political or religious activities. Asia Watch states in its 1994 report, Detained in China and Tibet, that, "The proportion of [so called] 'counter-revolutionaries' to common criminals in Tibetan jails today is almost 21 times higher than in China proper."
Tibetans in Exile	Total 150,000+. India 120,000+; Nepal 30,000+; Butan 2,500+; Switzerland 3,000+; Canada 700+; United States 1,500+. (+ indicates these numbers are growing every year due to continued and increasing Chinese oppression).
Human Rights	Tibetans, including children, caught leaving Tibet are imprisoned, beaten and tortured. Therefore many attempt escape via Himalayan mountain passes during the winter to avoid Chinese patrols. This journey often results in loss of limbs due to severe frostbite and too often even death.
Tibetan Refugee Facts	Between 1986 and 1992 13,400 refugees safely reached Reception Centers. Almost 50% of them were children between the ages of 14 and 25. Since 1992 another 25,000+ refugees have fled into exile with 15% under 13 years of age. These children are seeking the education which is denied to them in Chinese occupied Tibet.