The Tibetan exile government says it will “strongly counter” Beijing, which has been renaming Tibetan places with Chinese names.
Penpa Tsering, Sikyong or President of the Central Tibetan Administration (Tibetan Parliament in Exile) or CTA, told Indian media that the “Sinification of Tibet must stop.”
“We will create a map of Tibet that will carry names of all places in Tibet in Tibet language. Chinese official position on Tibet underplays Tibet’s own rich and distinct history as it projects Tibet as part of China since the ancient era. We have to put an end to it,” Tsering said.
“Chinese renaming of Tibetan places will not erase Tibet’s unique culture and identity, because we have been an independent entity for much of our history. China forcibly occupied Tibet by sending its army and that historical fact is acknowledged by the world,” Tsering said.
He said China calls Tibet as Xizang.
“But now we are researching every name in Tibet and we will have a map of Tibet that will show all the original Tibetan names of all the places in Tibet,” he said.
Recently, the information warfare division of Indian Army released a list of 30 places in Tibet with traditional names. Tibet experts in the Calcutta-based Asiatic Society helped prepare the list. Experts say this might be a tit-for-tat move to counter China’s naming many places in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh with Chinese names. China challenges Indian control over Arunachal Pradesh and says it is South Tibet, an extension of the Chinese province of Tibet.
Penpa Tsering........