Dynamics of political resistance in Tibet: religious repression and controversies of demographic change

In a novel approach to studying political mobilization among ethnic Tibetans in China, this article addresses two key questions. First, considering the Chinese state's repressive policies towards Tibetan Buddhism, what role does religion play in fomenting Tibetan political resistance? Second, w...

Full description

Saved in:  
Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Han, Enze 1978- (Author)
Contributors: Paik, Christopher (Other)
Format: Print Article
Language:English
Check availability: HBZ Gateway
Journals Online & Print:
Drawer...
Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Published: Cambridge Univ. Press 2014
In: The China quarterly
Year: 2014, Issue: 217, Pages: 69-98
Further subjects:B Religious identity
B Population development
B Religion
B Protest movements
B Political protest
B Population group
B Tibet
B Religious policy
B Ethnic group
B Discrimination
B State
B China
B Tibetans
Description
Summary:In a novel approach to studying political mobilization among ethnic Tibetans in China, this article addresses two key questions. First, considering the Chinese state's repressive policies towards Tibetan Buddhism, what role does religion play in fomenting Tibetan political resistance? Second, what implications can be drawn from the changing ethnic demography in Tibet about the conflict behaviour of Tibetans? Using various GIS-referenced data, this article specifically examines the 2008 Tibetan protest movements in China. The main results of our analysis indicate that the spread and frequency of protests in ethnic Tibetan areas are significantly associated with the number of officially registered Tibetan Buddhist sites, as well as the historical dominance of particular types of Tibetan religious sects. Furthermore, our analysis shows that the effect of Han Chinese settlement on Tibetan political activism is more controversial than previously thought. (China Q/GIGA)
ISSN:0305-7410
Contains:In: The China quarterly