Tibet was an independent country until 1950, when it was invaded and annexed to China by the People’s Liberation Army. The Dalai Lama, the highest religious and political leader of Tibet, fled to India in 1959 and has since lived there in exile. He still heads the Tibetan government from there.

Chronological timeframe
In 1717 a Mongolian tribe conquered Tibet. China took the Dalai Lama along to Tibet when it invaded the country and was hailed as a liberator. Nevertheless, the Tibetans soon rebelled against the Chinese suppression, but all protests were harshly suppressed. With the disintegration of the Chinese dynasty, Tibet managed to gain more freedom and when the dynasty fell in 1911, Tibet declared its independence. This lasted until 1950, when Mao Zedong vanquished the small, poorly equipped Tibetan army with his Communist Chinese Red Army. A year later it was decided that Tibet would become part of the Chinese state and that the Dalai Lama would function as a vassal for the Chinese government. However, in 1956 an uprising began in Eastern Tibet which later spread to Central Tibet. Chinese troops in Tibet were being reinforced and the uprisings were suppressed. Until the ‘70s, Chinese army troops fought the Tibetan guerrilla rebels. Many Buddhist temples and buildings were attacked, pillaged and destroyed in the process. The cultural heritage that remained, was later destroyed in the Cultural Revolution from 1966 to 1967. In the ‘70s the Chinese government and the Tibetan government in exile started negotiations and China tried to improve the situation in Tibet. However when these talks reached an impasse in 1983, Chinese politics were focused on further annexation of Tibet to China and propaganda to convince the Chinese, as well as the Tibetans, that Tibet had always been a part of China. In 2008, also due to the Olympic Games which were held in China that year, global protests urged for an independent Tibet.

Origin of the conflict
China invaded Tibet in 1950 with the intention to restore it to the status quo from before 1911. China also wished to save the Tibetans from their suffering under the ruling classes. Another explanation for the Chinese invasion is the Cold War; it was an American strategy to station army troops in countries bordering communist states. China and Russia wished to prevent American troops from intervening in Tibet.

Actors involved
China claims that Tibet has always been a part of China, since it was a vassal state during the Manchu dynasty. Tibet on the other hand argues that the Manchu’s were not Chinese. The Dalai Lama no longer fights for Tibet’s independence but for a truly autonomous Tibet within China, and acceptable living standards and freedom of religion for all Tibetans.

Response of the international community
When China invaded Tibet, an appeal was done at the United Nations. Yet most members did not wish to block Chinas invasion. Eventually, the General Assembly called for respect for culture, religion and human rights in Tibet in three resolutions (1959, 1961 and 1965). China’s policy toward Tibet has by now been convicted by the UN, the EU, the US and several human rights organisations.

Timeline: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/country_profiles/6299565.stm

Sources
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tibet
http://www.tibet.net/