Tibet and the Segment-state Hypothesis

In: Ethnopolitics, Band 13, Heft 1, S. 67-85

Abstract

This study examines the claim that the existence of segment states within a country enhances the likelihood of nation-state crises through an examination of the case of Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) within the People's Republic of China. The central argument I present is that the frequent nation-state crises within Tibet are not sufficiently explained through a focus on the influence of the segment state. This is the case for two reasons. First, the TAR cannot be accurately described as a segment state given significant limitations on the autonomy enjoyed by the Tibetan people within their homeland in terms of politics, religion, education and the economy. Second, rather than the existence of a segment state, international factors appear to play an important role in escalating nation-state crises within the TAR. Adapted from the source document.