State Formation and Autonomy: Does Chinese Practice in Tibet Meet International Standards?

18 Pages Posted: 13 Jul 2012 Last revised: 19 Jun 2015

See all articles by Michael C. Davis

Michael C. Davis

The University of Hong Kong - Faculty of Law

Date Written: 2012

Abstract

China’s hardline and repressive policies have often stood in the way of its acceptance on the international stage. This legacy has nowhere been more evident than with respect to its national minority policies applied in Tibet. While China long ago in the 1951 17-point Agreement agreed to provide autonomy to Tibetans it has never delivered on this promise, offering repression and assimilation instead. In nearly every diplomatic outing, as was especially evident in the lead up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics, China’s Tibet policies have been an issue. With the 2007 UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the 2008 Tibetan Memorandum on Genuine Autonomy for the Tibetan People China surely has excellent guidance for a more humane policy to meet Tibetan concerns. With reference to its historical legacy and international standards, this paper encourages China to embrace such policy reform.

Keywords: State formation, autonomy, human rights

Suggested Citation

Davis, Michael C., State Formation and Autonomy: Does Chinese Practice in Tibet Meet International Standards? (2012). APSA 2012 Annual Meeting Paper, University of Hong Kong Faculty of Law Research Paper No. 2012/030, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2105425 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2105425

Michael C. Davis (Contact Author)

The University of Hong Kong - Faculty of Law ( email )

Pokfulam Road
Hong Kong, Hong Kong
China

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