China White Paper
The document 'Tibet: Its Ownership and Human Rights Situation,' also known as the
'China White Paper', was issued by the Information Office of the State Council of
the People's Republic of China in September 1992, and provides the definitive
Chinese Government line on Tibet to date. Since the full-length document
contains over 80 pages, representative extracts under the original chapter
headings are given below.
Ownership of Tibet
By the Tang Dynasty
(618-907), the Tibetans and Hans [Chinese] had, through marriage between royal
families and meetings leading to alliances, cemented political and kinship ties
of unity and political friendship and formed close economic and cultural
relations, laying a solid foundation for the ultimate founding of a unified
nation.
In the mid-13th century, Tibet was officially incorporated into
the territory of China's Yuan Dynasty [1271-1368]. Since then, although China
experienced several dynastic changes, Tibet has remained under the jurisdiction
of the central government of China.
When the Qing Dynasty [1644-1911]
replaced the Ming Dynasty in 1644, it further strengthened administration over
Tibet. (A High Commission was set up in Lhasa in 1727 under an 'amban' [imperial
resident], who supervised the "handling of Tibetan affairs on behalf of the
central government," and who enjoyed "equal standing with the Dalai Lama...")
The Qing Dynasty was overthrown in the 1911 Chinese Revolution. During
his inauguration speech as first president of the Republic of China, Sun Yat-sen
announced "the unification of the Han [Chinese], Manchu, Mongol, Hui and Tibetan
peoples."
The People's Republic of China was founded in 1949 after
decisive victories in the Chinese people's war of liberation. Beiping [Beijing],
Hunan and the provinces bordering on Tibet - Yunnan, Xinjiang and Xikang [Sikang]
- were all liberated peacefully from the rule of the former Guomindang
Government. In the light of the history and reality of Tibet, the Central
People's Government decided to do the same for Tibet. In January 1950, the
Central Government formally notified the local authorities of Tibet to "send
delegates to Beijing to negotiate the peaceful liberation of Tibet."
On
23 May 1951, the Agreement of the Central People's Government and the Local
Government of Tibet on Measures for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet (ie: the
Seventeen-Point Agreement) was signed after the delegates of the Central People's
Government and the Tibetan Local Government had reached agreement on a series of
questions concerning Tibet's peaceful liberation.
Origins of So-called 'Tibetan Independence'
For more than 700 hundred years, the central government of China has
continuously exercised sovereignty over Tibet, and Tibet has never been an
independent state. No government of any country in the world has ever recognised
Tibet as an independent state.
Before peaceful liberation in 1951,
Tibet was under a feudal serfdom characterised by the dictatorship of upper-class
monks and nobles. The broad masses of serfs in Tibet eagerly wanted to break the
shackles of serfdom. After the peaceful liberation, many enlightened people of
the upper and middle classes also realised that if the old system was not
reformed, the Tibetan people would never attain prosperity.
However,
some members of the Tibetan ruling class were hostile to reform and wanted to
preserve serfdom so as to maintain their vested interests. They deliberately
violated and sabotaged the Seventeen-Point Agreement and intensified their
efforts to split the motherland.
Following rumours that Chinese troops
were planning to kidnap or murder the Dalai Lama, a large crowd gathered outside
the Norbu Lingka (the official residence of the Dalai Lama), shouting
pro-independence slogans. On 17 March 1959, Tibetan "rebels" carried the Dalai
Lama away to their base in Shannan "under duress."
After the Dalai Lama
left Lhasa, about 7,000 rebels gathered to wage a full-scale attack on the
[Communist] Party [and] government and army institutions on 20 March. The PLA,
driven beyond its forbearance, launched under orders a counter-attack at 10am the
same day. With the support of patriotic Tibetan monks and lay people, the PLA
completely put down the armed rebellion in Lhasa within two days. Before long,
the PLA suppressed the armed rebellion in Shannan, where the rebels had been
entrenched for a long time. Armed rebel forces who fled to other places were
dissolved.
The Dalai Clique's Separatist Activities and the Central Government's
Policy
Starting from the point of maintaining the
unification of the motherland and national unity, the Central Government adopted
an attitude of patient waiting towards the Dalai Lama after he fled abroad. His
position as a vice-chairman of the NPC [National People's Congress] Standing
Committee was preserved until 1964. However, surrounded by foreign anti-China
forces and Tibetan separatists, the Dalai Lama completely renounced the patriotic
stand which he once expressed and engaged in numerous activities to split the
motherland:
advocating that "Tibet is an independent
state."
setting up the "Government-in-Exile".
reorganising
the armed rebel forces.
spreading rumours and calumnies and plotting
riots.
The Central Government did everything possible to persuade
the Dalai Lama and his followers, through negotiations, to give up their
separatism and return to the motherland.
Regretfully, the Dalai Lama
did not draw on the goodwill of the Central Government. Instead, he further
intensified his separatist activities. At a meeting of the Human Rights
Sub-Committee of the US Congress held in September 1987, the Dalai Lama put
forward a "Five-Point Proposal" [the Five-Point Peace Plan] regarding the
so-called status of Tibet. He continued to advocate "Tibetan independence" and
instigate and plot a number of riots in Lhasa. In June 1988, the Dalai Lama
raised a so-called "Strasbourg Proposal" for the solution of the Tibet issue.
As 1989 witnessed a new international anti-China wave [following the
Tiananmen Square massacre], the Nobel Peace Prize Committee in Norway, with
clearly political motives, awarded the 1989 Nobel Peace Prize to the Dalai Lama,
giving its strong support to the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan separatists. Since
then, the Dalai Lama has travelled the world, advocating Tibet's separation from
China.
It is because the Dalai Lama sticks to his position of "Tibetan
independence" and continues his efforts to split the motherland that contacts
between the Central Government and the representatives of the Dalai Lama have
yielded no results.
So long as the Dalai Lama can give up his divisive
stand and admit that Tibet is an inalienable part of China, the Central
Government is willing to hold talks at any time with him. The Dalai Lama is
warmly welcome to return to the embrace of the motherland at an early date and do
some work that is conducive to maintaining the motherland's unification, the
national unity, as well as the affluent and happy lives of the Tibetan
people.
Feudal Serfdom in Old Tibet
Before the
Democratic Reform of 1959, Tibet had long been a society of feudal serfdom under
the despotic religio-political rule of lamas and nobles; a society which was
darker and more cruel than the European serfdom of the Middle Ages.
Under the centuries-long feudal serfdom, the Tibetan serfs were
politically oppressed, economically exploited and frequently persecuted. Old
Tibet can be said to have been one of the world's regions witnessing the most
serious violations of human rights.
The People Gain Personal Freedom
After the
quelling of the armed rebellion in 1959, the Central People's Government, in
compliance with the wishes of the Tibetan people, conducted the Democratic Reform
in Tibet and abolished the extremely decadent and dark feudal serfdom. The
million serfs and slaves were emancipated.
The People Enjoy Political Rights
The
Democratic Reform in 1959 put an end to the political system of combining
religious with political rule and introduced the new political system of people's
democracy. Under the Constitution of the People's Republic of China, the Tibetan
people, like the people of various nationalities throughout the country, have
become masters of the country and enjoy full political rights provided for by the
law.
Tibet practises regional national autonomy in accordance with the
Constitution of the People's Republic of China. In March 1955, the Central
Government decided to set up the Preparatory Committee for the Tibet Autonomous
Region. In September 1965, the First Session of the First People's Congress of
the Tibet Autonomous Region was held in Lhasa and the establishment of the Tibet
Autonomous Region was officially announced.
Economic Development and Improvement of Living Standards
Due to efforts made in the past 40-odd years, the living
standards of the Tibetan people have improved markedly. Most farmers and
herdsmen have adequate food and clothing and some have attained relative
affluence.
Due to Tibet's extremely harsh natural conditions and its
extremely backward social development in history, the level of economic
development and the living standards of the people are still lower than the
nation's average. In 1989, the Government of the Tibet Autonomous Region
formulated 'Strategic Ideas for the Economic and Social Development of Tibet.' It
has implemented the policy of opening up to the rest of China and the outside
world as well; exploring the regional, domestic and foreign markets; developing
advantageous resources; and stepping up development of key areas and key
industries. The goal is to narrow as soon as possible the gap in economic
development between Tibet and other areas of the nation in order to lay a solid
foundation for the common prosperity of Tibetan and other ethnic groups.
Freedom of Religious Belief
Respect for and
protection of religious belief is a basic policy of the Chinese Government.
After the peaceful liberation of Tibet, organisations at all levels in Tibet
earnestly carried out the policy, gaining the appreciation of both monks and lay
people. Protected by the Constitution of the People's Republic of China and
state laws, the Tibetan people now enjoy full freedom to participate in normal
religious activities.
During the period of the "Cultural Revolution"
(1966-76), however, in Tibet as in other parts of China, the policy on freedom of
religious belief was disrupted, and sites and facilities for religious activities
were seriously damaged. After the "Cultural Revolution" ended, the policy on
freedom of religious belief began to be implemented again in Tibet. Since 1980,
religious institutions have been reinstated or established, and a great deal of
work has been done to ensure freedom of religious belief for all citizens.
Those who carry out law-breaking and conduct criminal activities under
the guise of religion will be prosecuted according to the law. In recent years,
some monks and nuns in Tibet received legal retribution because they infringed on
the law. They were involved in riots that endangered social security and
disrupted public order, engaged in beating, smashing, looting, burning and
killing and carried out other criminal activities. None was arrested and
declared guilty because of religious belief.
Development of Education and Culture
Education in old Tibet was very backward. There were no schools in the modern
sense. Before Tibet's peaceful liberation, only some 2,000 monks and children of
the nobility studied in government and private schools. The masses of serfs and
slaves had no right to receive education.
The development of education
in Tibet has enhanced the cultural level of citizens, creating conditions for the
Tibetan people to better exercise their right of regional autonomy as an ethnic
minority and attain overall development. However, since the foundations of
education in Tibet were very weak and the population sparsely scattered,
illiterates and semi-illiterates still make up a considerable proportion in
Tibet's population, although they are now in the minority rather than in the
majority, as they were in the past. Further development of education remains a
strenuous and pressing task in Tibet.
Tibet has a rich traditional
culture which covers language, literature, art, philosophy, religion, medicine
and the celestial almanac. The Chinese Government has always attached importance
to protecting and developing the excellent traditional culture of the Tibetan
ethnic group. It has adopted a series of policies and measures to honour,
protect and ensure the flourishing of Tibet's traditional culture, enabling the
legacy of Tibetan culture to be inherited and developed.
Speakers of
different languages are treated equally in the recruitment of workers, cadres and
students, with priority always given to Tibetan speakers. Tibetan is used in
large meetings attended by the masses. All work units, streets, roads and public
facilities are marked in both Tibetan and Chinese script. The Tibetan language
is the main subject of all schools at different levels.
People's Health and Demographic Growth
The
Government provides free medical care for all Tibetans. This, plus considerable
improvements in medical and health conditions, has greatly raised the average
life span and health level of the Tibetan people. Average life expectancy has
risen from 36 years before liberation to 65 years at present.
As
Tibet's population has been increasing at a fast rate, population control is
necessary. Since 1984, the Regional Government has advocated and carried out the
policy of two children per couple among Tibetan cadres, workers and the staff of
enterprises and residents in cities and towns. However, among the Han cadres,
workers and staff members in Tibet, the policy of one child per couple has been
advocated and enforced. Only 12% of the people in Tibet are covered by the
family planning policy. In the process of carrying out family planning, the
Government always persists in the principle of "mainly publicity, volunteering
and service," and prohibits any form of forced abortion.
On the
question of the size of the Tibetan population, the Dalai Clique has spread many
rumours. The most sensational was that more than 1.2 million people were killed
after the peaceful liberation of Tibet. In 1953, the Tibetan Local Government
under the Dalai Lama reported the population stood at one million people. If 1.2
million inhabitants had been massacred, it would have been a case of genocide and
certainly the population in Tibet could not have increased to the present two
million.
The Dalai Clique has also contended that geographically Tibet
extends far beyond the boundaries of today, including areas inhabited by the
Tibetans in Sichuan, Qinghai and other places, making a total population of six
million. This so-called Greater Tibet is merely a conspiracy hatched by
imperialists in an attempt to carve up China. As a result of long historical
changes, ethnic Tibetans have settled not only in Tibet but also in areas in
Sichuan, Qinghai, Gansu and Yunnan provinces. But these areas were not under the
jurisdiction of Tibet in the past, and the former Tibetan Local Government never
administered any Tibetan-inhabited areas beyond Tibet.
Another lie is
the claim that a large number of Hans have migrated to Tibet, turning the ethnic
Tibetans into a minority. It is very easy to confuse and poison the minds of
people who are not aware of the truth. In Tibet, the natural conditions are
harsh, the air is oxygen-poor and the climate is bitterly cold. Most of the land
consists of mountains, wilderness and permafrost and snow zones. Customs there
are so different from those in the heartland of the country that people from the
interior can hardly adapt to them. Tibet is not like the western part of the
United States, where large numbers of people moved in for development. The
figures from various national censuses have thoroughly exploded the lie that the
Han population in Tibet has already surpassed that of the Tibetans.
Protection of Living Environment
While
vigorously developing [the] Tibetan economy, the People's Government attaches
great importance to environmental protection in Tibet. Conscientiously carrying
out the state's basic policy on environmental protection, the Tibet Autonomous
Region perseveres in its strategy of synchronised planning and undertaking of
economic, urban, rural and environmental construction.
While bolstering
the ecological environment, Tibet is strengthening environmental administration.
For all construction projects that might affect the environment, the region
follows the "environmental impact appraisal" system and the system of designing,
building and putting into operation pollution treatment facilities and
construction projects at the same time.
According to the monitoring
station [the Environmental Monitoring Station in Lhasa], the environmental
conditions are good in Tibet. Generally speaking, there is no pollution of the
atmosphere or water. No acid rain has fallen in the region. The annual level of
suspended particulate matter in the urban atmosphere averages 340
micrograms/cubic metre a day, well within state standards. Apart from slight
pollution in several sections of river, the water quality of the region's rivers
and lakes is good. Radioactive elements are at the normal background level,
causing no deleterious pollution. The Dalai Clique's accusations that China has
stored its nuclear waste in Tibet are therefore purely fiction.
Special State Aid for Tibet's Development
To
further accelerate Tibet's economic and cultural construction and attain the
target of a comfortable lifestyle for most Tibetans, the Central Government will
continue to offer great support to Tibet. State-invested projects in Tibet have
been established and written into a development program. The construction
projects include the following:
to develop the
drainage area of the Yarlung Zangbo, Lhasa and Nyang Qu [Nyang Chu] rivers, to
enable growth in agriculture and light industry.
to build a
pump-storage power station in Lhasa.
to rebuild the Qinghai-Tibet,
Sichuan-Tibet, Nagqu-Qamdo [Chamdo] and China-Nepal highways.
to expand
the Gonggar Airport in Lhasa.
to build a modern post and
telecommunications centre in Lhasa.
The realities of Tibet fully
show that the Tibetan people, who have shaken off the yoke of feudal serfdom, now
enjoy extensive human rights which they have never been able to enjoy before.
But their human rights are not yet complete because of Tibet's backward economy
and culture and its harsh geographic conditions. Continuous and sustained
efforts should be made to improve the human rights situation. The Chinese
Government and people are trying their best to accomplish this. However, the
human rights the Tibetan people enjoy today are poles apart from those under
feudal serfdom. The Dalai Clique and international anti-China forces, who flaunt
the banner of "champions of human rights," do not denounce the dark, savage and
cruel feudal serfdom at all, under which the Tibetan people were deprived of all
human rights by the serf-owners. But they continue to tell lies even after [the]
lies they told previously have been exploded, alleging that the Tibetan people,
who have become masters of the country, have lost their human rights. Their
purpose is to mislead the public and create confusion in an attempt to realise
their dream of dismembering China, seizing Tibet and finally subverting socialist
China. Here lies the essence of so-called human rights in Tibet.
No
plot to split China will ever succeed. The close relations between the Tibetan
people and other ethnic groups in China have lasted for several thousand years.
And Tibet has been unified with the other provinces and autonomous regions to
make up a unitary country for seven centuries. In such a long period of time,
Tibet's relations with other provinces and autonomous regions have become closer
and closer, and there has never been separation. This is by no means fortuitous.
The fundamental reason is that unity or separation has a decisive bearing on the
prospering or decline of the Tibetan, Han and all the other ethnic groups of
China. Unity spells common prosperity, and separation would mean peril to both
parties. The long-lasting unification of Tibet with other parts of China is the
inevitable outcome of a long history. So the Han people and the other ethnic
groups absolutely will not accept separation of Tibet from China, nor will the
Tibetan people themselves.
(Source: www.freetibet.org)
