By Khedroob Thondup

When Tibet was engulfed by Chinese occupation in the 1950s, despair spread across the plateau. Villages were uprooted, monasteries destroyed, and a centuries-old way of life threatened with extinction. Out of this crisis rose the Chushi Gangdruk, the “Four Rivers, Six Ranges” resistance force, a grassroots army of Khampa fighters who refused to surrender their homeland. For 18 years, they became the backbone of Tibetan armed resistance — and their struggle was sustained by a powerful, if complex, ally: the Central Intelligence Agency.

Why the CIA Stepped In. The CIA’s involvement was born of Cold War geopolitics. Washington sought pressure points against Beijing, and Tibet offered one. Yet for Tibetans, motives mattered less than outcomes. The CIA was the first external agency to recognize their plight and act. By supporting Chushi Gangdruk, the CIA gave Tibetans not only weapons ...