Published by: World Tibet Network News, 96/03/29

BEIJING (March 28) XINHUA - The United States is not qualified at all to criticize China on the ethnic minority issue, the Information Office of China's State Council said here today in a commentary refuting the US State Department's Human Rights Report for 1995 released on March 5.

The commentary said that the US government implements a racial segregation policy towards the Indians and pens them inside reserves, with the result that they live in chronic poverty and backwardness. That is the real infringement of human rights, the commentary pointed out.

The commentary noted that the Human Rights Report for 1995 of the US State Department criticized the Chinese government's policy of helping Tibet develop its economy, saying it undermines the traditional life style of the Tibetans. The report also says non-Tibetan technological workers who are sent to work in Tibet dilute the Tibet nationality. "This is a fabrication with ulterior motives," the commentary stressed.

The commentary added that the Chinese government has all along implemented policies both to develop the Tibetan economy and protect traditional Tibetan culture. A small number of non-Tibetan technological workers go to Tibet in the light of the needs of certain construction projects, and help local people develop their economy. This does not bring any changes in local population formation at all, the commentary stressed. (more) 28/03/96

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