Published by: World Tibet Network News, Wednesday, May 15, 1996

Source: `Wen Wei Po', Hong Kong, in Chinese 12 May 96 pA11

At the 52nd World Human Rights Conference, the attempt by the United States and certain Western countries to interfere in China's internal affairs was foiled again. While attacking China on human rights issues, and on the Tibetan issue in particular, Western countries, including the United States and others, uttered nonsense by saying that China's policy towards Tibet is "predatory by nature" and so on. As they confound black and white, they were bound to failure.

Tibet is China's nationality autonomous region. Owing to historical reasons and natural conditions, its present economic development still lags far behind the level of national economic development. However, according to statistics, since 1952 the central financial department has never taken even a cent from Tibet. On the contrary, the cumulative amount of funds invested by the state in Tibet has reached 35bn yuan. If we base the calculation on the present population of 2 million in Tibet, per capita investment amount is about 17,000 yuan. In the meantime, the state has formulated various preferential policies for Tibet's economic development. In recent years in particular, the state has encouraged economically developed provinces and cities to carry out infrastructure projects gratis in the region, such as power plants, waterworks, tourist hotels, highway construction and telecommunications. This has injected staying power and vigour into the economic development of the Tibetan region, and has played a favo

urable role in improving the livelihood of the Tibetan people.

The scheme of "non-Tibetan technical workers responsible for aiding Tibet" , which was attacked by the "Human Rights Report" of the US State Department, is actually a most effective measure taken by the central government to support Tibet's economy in terms of qualified personnel. Tibet's natural conditions are comparatively poor, and what the region lacks most is qualified personnel. Technical workers from other parts of the country, who have profound knowledge and skills, are enormous assets for the development of Tibet. I have a mainland friend who went to Tibet with an Aid-Tibet Group last year. It has been arranged for him to work in a food factory in the county seat of Yadong County in Xigaze Prefecture. After working in the factory, he has passed on his skills for making light refreshments to the Tibetan workers. Improvement in product sales has brought the factory back to life. Even such selfless devotion and imparting of skills are reproached and attacked. We really do not know the mode of thinking

of those US technicians. Why do they distort facts and call white black?

With regard to the argument that aid-Tibet personnel "has weakened the supremacy of the Tibetan nationality in the population structure" is even more ridiculous. According to a population sample survey conducted in Tibet in October 1995, the Tibetan population has reached 2.389 million. The population of the Han nationality is only 79,000, accounting for 3.3 per cent of the total population in the region. How can such a small percentage "weaken the supremacy" of the Tibetan nationality in terms of the population structure? The Dalai group attacks the Chinese government for pursuing a policy of " genocide" . This cannot withstand a single blow. According to Tibetan historical files, the population in Tibet in 1950 was only one million. It had increased by 140 per cent in 1995. It this "genocide" or "population development" ?

Not long ago, the Chinese government allocated 53m yuan for the full renovation of the Potala Palace. This has been unprecedented in the history of the palace. For this reason, the Tibetan people carved the event on a stone tablet for an everlasting commemoration. The Chinese government also has attached importance to developing education in the Tibetan language, and to carrying forward Tibetan medical traditions. It abides by the religious rites and respects religious beliefs. This has been obvious to people throughout the world.

This shows that the attack of the so-called "human rights warriors" of the West on China's "predatory" policy towards Tibet is completely groundless. Such a malicious attack cannot harm China's consistent policy for developing the Tibetan economy and protecting traditional Tibetan culture. It can only reveal the intentions of certain Western countries to interfere in China's internal affairs under the pretext of the "human rights issue" . Facts have fully proven that it is the Chinese government that truly shows concern for the Tibetan people's livelihood and right to survival and development.