China: Questionable “development” and measures against poverty in Tibet

The Society for Threatened Peoples (STP) accuses the Chinese government of pressing ahead with the Sinicization of Tibet under the guise of “development” and measures against poverty – making the Tibetans a minority in their own country. “The Tibetans are literally disenfranchised and deprived of their own culture. If it becoming more and more difficult for them to decide on how they want to live their lives,” said Ulrich Delius, the STP’s Asia consultant, on occasion of the 57th anniversary of the Tibetan uprising against the Chinese rule. “In 1959, China crushed the uprising of the Tibetans by force of arms. Now, it is new infrastructure projects that serve to subdue Tibet.” Last Saturday, China’s government presented plans for a new railway line between southern China and Tibet. “Thousands of new settlers will be coming to the high country of Tibet every week, increasing China’s influence,” said Delius. In 1959, at least 87,000 Tibetans had lost their lives in the bloody crackdown of the uprising.

The second-Tibet railway was announced in the scope of China’s new five-year plan. It is supposed to be 1629 km long, connecting Tibet’s capital city Lhasa and the city Chengdu (Sichuan Province). Each kilometer of the mountain route – which is to be completed by 2030 – will cost at least 15 million euros. The travel time between the two cities will be reduced from 42 hours to less than 15 hours.

The first Tibet railway from Lhasa to Xining (Qinghai Province) was put into operation in 2006. Since the opening of the 1659 km long railway line, the number of tourists in Tibet has increased from 2.5 million to 10.58 million visitors in 2013. Also, hundreds of thousands of migrants used the railway to settle in the emerging cities along the route – and the railway is also used for the intensive extraction of mineral resources and for trade with eastern China. The railway, which was extended to the Tibetan city of Shigatse in 2014, is heavily guarded by soldiers. For China, it is of strategical importance as it serves to deploy police forces and soldiers to Tibet.

As the government of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) announced at the end of January 2016, China is planning to build 32,000 km of new roads in Tibet by 2020, as a means to promote the region’s “development” and to lead about 690,000 people out of poverty. The TAR only covers parts of the Tibetan settlement areas. “The envisaged 11% growth in Tibet’s gross domestic product will primarily help the Chinese immigrants, but not the Tibetans. There is a lack of jobs and perspectives for life – especially for the Tibetan nomads who were forced to settle,” said Delius. From the viewpoint of the Tibetans, the programs to reduce poverty are primarily attempts to further the Sinicization and colonization of their homeland. Also, they are complaining about the fact that they don’t have much say regarding the decisions for the “development” of Tibet. Currently, the controversial measures to combat poverty are leading to more resistance among the Tibetans. Most of the arrests of Tibetan protesters are connected to demonstrations against new mines and other large-scale projects.

Header photo: Lyle Vincent via Flickr