the dragon in the land of snows: A

History of Modern Tibet since 1947

by Tsering Shakya

Pimlico, #12.50

Perhaps the main lesson from this impressive book is the

exposure of Britain's role in the colonisation of Tibet by Communist China. When Britain left the Indian sub-continent in 1947 a number of issues were left unresolved - including the status of Tibet as a nation.

Three factors led to the assimilation of Tibet into the People's Republic of China: Tibet's innocence, China's ruthlessness and India's indifference. Tibet was in

a medieval cocoon when the

Chinese People's Liberation Army was planning the invasion in 1950. Tibet had only established diplomatic relations with its Himalayan neighbours - including British India - but these were vague and did not clearly establish Tibet's status as an independent nation.

Invading Tibet was a hugely challenging task for the Chinese as there was no Communist Party in Tibet, little sympathy for the cause and the terrain was vast and hostile. In order to succeed, the Chinese skilfully used a mixture of threats and false promises. Had the Chinese simply invaded, and had the Tibetans fought back with western support, it is unlikely that Tibet could have been conquered. By comparison, Taiwan would have been a much easier military target.

In 1950, Britain was virtually the only member of the United Nations who knew the intricacies of the Tibetan question, and when the hapless Tibetans approached this newly-established organisation for help, all members turned to Britain for advice. Instead of providing support and leadership for the Tibetan cause, Britain persuaded the key players - India and the United States - to ignore the issue and appease the Chinese. It was left to El Salvador to raise the Tibetan cause in the UN General Assembly.

The Tibetans, realising that they had been betrayed by the great powers, decided to follow Britain's advice and appease the Chinese. A 17-point agreement was signed between the two countries and Beijing promised Tibet full autonomy, religious freedom and a host of other

guarantees. These promises were

simply a manoeuvre to enable the Chinese to establish a foothold in hostile territory. Nine years later, the Dalai Lama fled to India and the systematic destruction of the Tibetan nation was able to begin.

The Dragon in the Land of Snows tells this story in fascinating detail and with great objectivity. Tibet can be described as one of the world's great unresolved conflicts, and Tsering Shakya's book is an important contribution to finding an eventual solution.