Tibet had declared itself an independent nation in 1913, but China refused to recognise this and maintained that Tibet was a part of China. In 1949, the Communist Party of China came to power and claimed Tibet as a part of the People’s Republic of China. In 1950, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) marched into Tibet and occupied the country. They forced the Tibetan government to sign the 17-Point Agreement, which recognised Chinese sovereignty over Tibet while granting the Tibetans autonomy in their internal affairs.

However, the Chinese government failed to implement the agreement and instead began a process of repression and cultural assimilation in Tibet. The 14th Dalai Lama, only 15 years old at the time, assumed the role of the head of the Tibetan government.

As China continued to e

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