75. How about the use of the Tibetan language?

Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents vii
3. Foreword xviii
4. Preface to the English edition xxiv
5. Acknowledgments xxix
6. Abbreviations and Conventions xxx
7. Maps xxxii
8. Part One. Historical facts
9. Introduction 1
10. 1. Some Tibetans in self-exile have repeatedly claimed that Tibet and China are two different countries. What does history have to say? 3
11. 2. Some Tibetans have argued that the Yuan emperor, Kublai Khan, and Pagba, a leading Tibetan lama of the Sagya Sect, only established the religious relationship of “the benefactor and the lama”; political subordination was not involved. Is this right? 14
12. 3. How did the Yuan Dynasty exercise its sovereignty over Tibet? 15
13. 4. It has been argued that the Mongolians incorporated Tibet into China by conquest in a manner not too dissimilar to Britain’s occupation of India and Burma. What do you think of the claim that just as India cannot now regard Burma as part of its territory, so China cannot claim sovereignty over Tibet? 17
14. 5. Did the Ming and Qing dynasties continue to exercise the sovereignty over Tibet established by the Yuan dynasty? 18
15. 6. Can you outline the origins of the Dalai Lama and the Bainqen Erdini? Did the establishment of these positions have anything to do with the Chinese central government? 33
16. 7. Are there any historical documents which provide evidence that Tibet is part of China? 37
17. 8. Why was the issue of “Tibetan independence” raised early in this century? 39
18. 9. It has been claimed that China only has suzerainty over Tibet. Is this right? 44
19. 10. How did Britain and the United States interfere with China’s domestic affairs with regard to Tibet in the past? 45
20. 11. What are the views of foreign countries on the “independence of Tibet”? 50
21. 12. An American newspaper said that Tibet did not become part of China until 1950, and only in the late 1970s did the Carter administration officially recognize China’s sovereignty over Tibet. Does this accord with history? 53
22. 13. Under what circumstances did the PLA decide to march into Tibet? 55
23. 14. What was the content of the Agreement on Measures for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet signed between China’s Central Government and the local government of Tibet? 64
24. 15. What was the Dalai Lama’s attitude toward this agreement? 67
25. 16. Since peaceful liberation, what policies has the Chinese government pursued in Tibet? 70
26. 17. What caused the 1959 rebellion in Tibet? 74
27. 18. How did the Chinese government deal with those who participated in the March 1959 rebellion? 78
28. Part Two. Human Rights
29. Introduction 79
30. 19. What were the conditions regarding human rights in Tibet before democratic reform? 81
31. 20. What rights do the Tibetan people enjoy? 84
32. 21. Some people have said that Tibet has several hundred prisons holding many thousands of political prisoners. Others have claimed that Tibet has 73 prisons with 80,000 prisoners. What are the facts? 87
33. 22. Some foreign newspapers have claimed that the Chinese killed more than 1 million Tibetans. Is this true? 88
34. 23. In 1987, two men were executed in Tibet.Were they political prisoners? 90
35. 24. What is the true story of Geshi Luosang Wangzhu, a so-called ideological criminal the U.S. Congress has asked to be released? 92
36. 25. It has been claimed that the Chinese have tried prisoners in Tibet at mass rallies, after which they were immediately killed. Is it true? 93
37. 26. Some people have accused China of carrying out “racial segregation” and “racial discrimination” in Tibet. What is the reality? 94
38. 27. Some people have said that Tibetans cannot act freely in Tibet, and that Tibetan cadres and children aged under 18 cannot travel abroad. Is this true? 97
39. 28. The Dalai Lama and others say that Tibetan children have been deprived of the right to education and that Tibet has become an area of illiteracy. Is this true? 98
40. 29. It is reported that there are serious problems of unemployment and child labor among the Tibetans. Is that true? 101
41. 30. People at the side of the Dalai Lama also said that the hospitals in Tibet only serve the Han people. Is that true? 103
42. 31. How long is the average life span of Tibetans living in Tibet? How is it compared with what it was before the peaceful liberation of Tibet? 105
43. 32. Some people have claimed that China practised forced sterilization and the killing of infants in Tibet. Is this true? 107
44. Part Three. Policies toward the Dalai Lama
45. Introduction 111
46. 33. What policy has the central government adopted toward the Dalai Lama? 113
47. 34. If the Dalai Lama returns, can he settle in Tibet? 113
48. 35. What is the attitude of the Chinese government toward the Dalai Lama’s visit to other countries? 115
49. 36. What is the basic divergence of views between the Dalai Lama and the Chinese government and people? 117
50. 37. What is the Chinese government’s attitude toward the “fivepoint proposal” put forward by the Dalai Lama in the United States during September 1987? 119
51. 38. How does the Chinese government view the Dalai Lama’s “New proposal” on Tibet he put forward in Strasbourg, France, in June 1988? 121
52. 39. How does the Chinese government value the idea of a “greater Tibetan autonomous region” suggested by some people around the Dalai Lama? 123
53. 40. Why doesn’t China agree to apply the “one country, two systems” concept to Tibet? 125
54. 41. Will the Chinese government permit the Tibetans who fled abroad with the Dalai Lama and have acquired foreign citizenships to return? If so, what formalities should they go through before their homecoming visit? 126
55. 42. What relations does the self-exiled Dalai Lama maintain with the Bainqen Lama? 128
56. Part Four. Population
57. Introduction 131
58. 43. Has there been a decrease in the number of Tibetans since the peaceful liberation of Tibet in 1951? 133
59. 44. Dalai and his followers claim that 7.5 million Han have been emigrated to Tibet, and that Tibetans have become a minority nationality in the region. Is that true? 144
60. 45. What is the Tibetan population? How is it distributed? 151
61. 46. How many minority nationalities are there in China? 152
62. 47. How many minority ethnic groups are there in Tibet? 153
63. Part Five. Religious Belief
64. Introduction 157
65. 48. What policies has the Chinese government adopted toward religious belief in Tibet? 159
66. 49. Some people claim that the Chinese Communist Party has eliminated religion in Tibet. Is this true? 160
67. 50. Did the Chinese government appropriate money for renovating monasteries in Tibet in order to attract more foreign tourists? 167
68. 51. Are Tibetans free to take part in religious activities? 169
69. 52. How are Tibet’s monasteries administered? 170
70. 53. Are there any professional schools for training religious workers in Tibet? 172
71. 54. Please give a brief account of the lamasery life. Do lamas suffer many privations? 173
72. 55. Which monasteries are famous in Tibet? And what is the situation they are in now? 178
73. 56. When did Tibetan Buddhism come into being? How many sects does it have? 181
74. 57. It has been reported that China will set up a “Tibetan Buddhism Guidance Committee.” What will be its tasks? 185
75. Part Six. Right to autonomy
76. Introduction 189
77. 58. What policies has the Chinese government adopted in regard to minority nationalities? 191
78. 59. When was the Tibet Autonomous Region founded? How many autonomous regions are there in China? 197
79. 60. As one of the autonomous regions, what rights does Tibet have? 197
80. 61. How many decrees on self-government have been formulated by the Tibet Autonomous Region? 198
81. 62. What is the proportion of Tibetans to Han in the Tibet Autonomous Region’s civil service? 200
82. 63. Who were the heads of all previous governments of the Tibet Autonomous Region? Were they all Tibetans? 202
83. 64. Who have served as the standing committee chairmen of the Tibet Autonomous Regional People’s Congress? What nationality were they? 202
84. 65. How many counties and cities does the Tibet Autonomous Region have under its jurisdiction? What are the nationalities of the county magistrates and mayors? 203
85. 66. Are there any other Tibet autonomous areas in China apart from the Tibet Autonomous Region? 203
86. 67. Why are none of the first secretaries of the Tibet Autonomous Regional Committee of the Chinese Communist Party Tibetans? 205
87. Part Seven. Culture and education
88. Introduction 207
89. 68. What is the policy adopted by China regarding traditional Tibetan culture? 209
90. 69. Some foreign newspapers have claimed that China has paid no attention to Tibet’s history and culture. What are the facts? 212
91. 70. What is the Chinese government’s attitude toward traditional Tibetan literature and art? 214
92. 71. What work has been done to protect cultural relics and historical sites in Tibet? 220
93. 72. What is the situation of Tibetan studies in China? 223
94. 73. What does the China Tibetan Studies Center do? Who runs it? 225
95. 74. It is said that traditional Tibetan medical science is very special. What has China done to develop it? 226
96. 75. How about the use of the Tibetan language? 234
97. Part Eight. Economic development
98. Introduction 237
99. Historical Comparisons 239
100. The Legacy of State Intervention in the Tibetan Areas over the Past Fifty Years
101. 76. What policies and assistance has the central government provided in regard to economic development in Tibet? 249
102. 77. What is the status of economic development in Tibet? 249
103. Constraints and Favorable Conditions for Development
104. 78. What advantages does Tibet have for its economic development? 269
105. 83. What are the main problems Tibet faces in developing its economy? 270
106. Foreign Investment and Trade
107. 79. Are there any Sino-foreign joint ventures or solely foreignfunded projects in Tibet? 277
108. 80. How does Tibet attempt to cooperate with foreign factories? 277
109. 81. How do foreign people invest in Tibet? 278
110. 82. How about Tibet’s tourist resources? How do foreign people travel in Tibet? 279
111. 84. It is reported that China has deployed nuclear weapons and dumped nuclear waste in Tibet, damaging the environment there. Is that true? 283
112. Part Nine. Livelihood of the people
113. Introduction 291
114. 85. How are the living conditions in Tibet today compared with the past? 293
115. 86. Why are the living standards of Tibetans lower than [those of ] the Han people in other places? 298
116. 87. Do the Tibetan and Han people enjoy equal payment for same work? 301
117. 88. What customs and habits are there in Tibet? 302
118. 89. What festivals are there in Tibet? 307
119. Part Ten. About the riots in Lhasa
120. Introduction 311
121. 90. Some people have said that the demonstrations which occurred in Lhasa in 1987 and 1988, despite being peaceful, were forcibly suppressed. Is this true? 313
122. 91. What caused the riots, and did it have anything to do with the Dalai clique? 316
123. 92. Some people have said that in putting down the riots in Lhasa, the police arrested and beat people indiscriminately, killing quite a few. What is the truth? 318
124. 93. Of all those arrested in the riots, how many have been set free and how many are still in prison? How well are they treated in prison? What will happen to them? How many rioters, if any, were executed? 321
125. 94. Were any foreign tourists or reporters at the scene of the riots? If there were, were they detained, warned, or deported? 323
126. 95. How do religious leaders and the residents of Lhasa view these riots since September 1987? 324
127. 96. Why were foreigners not allowed to travel nor foreign reporters permitted to cover news in Tibet during riots? 325
128. 97. After the riots in Lhasa, were any leaders of the Tibet Autonomous Region dismissed or promoted? Are more soldiers or policemen to be sent to Tibet? 326
129. 98. What countermeasures have the Tibetan authorities taken since the riots? Are the masses allowed to hold parades and demonstrations? 327
130. 99. What is the situation in Tibet now? 328
131. 100. Some foreign newspapers said recently that the Tibet authorities have dispatched people to temples and monasteries to throw out those lamas and nuns who participated in the riots. Is this true? 328
132. A Comparative Chronology of Tibet and China 331
133. Glossary 339
134. References 351
135. Contributors 363