SCIO briefing on democratic reform in Tibet
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E-mail China.org.cn, March 28, 2019
Hu Kaihong:
Thank you, Mr. Norbu Dondrup. Now, the floor is open to questions. Please identify your media organizations before asking questions.
Hong Kong Ta Kung Wen Wei Media Group:
We know that the human rights situation in Tibet Autonomous Region has seen tremendous change since the beginning of democratic reforms 60 years ago. However, some countries and the Dalai group claim that the human rights situation in Tibet is not so good. What is the human rights situation in Tibet like? Are there any violations of human rights in Tibet? Thank you.
Norbu Dondrup:
There is an old Chinese saying: "a resonant drum needs no heavy beating, and a running horse needs no spur." Many people here today are from Tibet and most of them are local officials of ethnic minority groups whose parents suffered from ruthless oppression and exploitation under feudal serfdom. Today, we come to the press conference with a brand-new attitude. The people next to me are both officials of ethnic groups, and so am I. You can see from us the remarkable achievements that the cause of human rights has made. There are abundant historical materials in the white paper released today which provide detailed information on democratic reforms in Tibet and its landmark achievements under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. Therefore, regarding the human rights situation in Tibet, I can tell you that it is not just good, but it's very good. The public's sense of happiness over the development of the cause of human rights and protection of human rights in Tibet is not just strong, but very strong. Some people abroad and the Dalai group cast blame on our human rights, but I believe they have ulterior motives. What I have mentioned about the tremendous changes in political, social and economic aspects in Tibet are exactly the achievements and changes we have made on the cause of human rights development.
We know very well that before 1959, the millions of serfs in Tibet had almost no words or concepts of "human rights" in their minds. They did not realize the concept of human rights because, in the old Tibet ruled by Dalai, they were entirely deprived under the feudal serfdom. Their basic right to life was absent, let alone their right of development. The last generation of our people to have witnessed this said that it was an extremely dark and cruel society, where millions of the serfs were merely "talking tools." The feudal serfdom regime in Tibet divided people into three distinct social classes and nine ranks. People of the highest rank were literally worth their weight in gold, while people of the lowest rank were worth only the price of a straw rope. There was no equality before the law. Serfs could be sold, transferred and even slaughtered or put into jail. Serfs could be randomly selected to have their skin pulled, their tendons pulled out or even their eyes gouged out. All of this has been mentioned in the white paper. How could people have human rights under those circumstances? There were no human rights at all. Therefore, when the Dalai Lama attacks our human rights today he definitely has motives behind it. His abuse of human rights disqualifies him from talking about the human rights.
Some countries, coaxed or misguided by slanders from the Dalai Lama clique, attack our human rights conditions. Human rights in China are closely integrated with our own national conditions; have answered and satisfied the people's demands; and have been catered for the broad masses of the population and the people of Tibet. In evaluating human rights conditions, one should listen to the people, especially the more-than-3-million Tibetan people, who should have the final say. In my view, the satisfaction and happiness of the people are the best testimony for human rights conditions.
In turn, we now feel that we have been liberated and have been empowered to become masters of the country and society, and have the right to pursue our own destiny. We are therefore proud of it. We are very happy to live in the socialist family under the leadership of the Communist Party of China. Just as what I have mentioned to you, we are not only the offspring of the serfs, but also the living witnesses to six decades of brilliant development of Tibet's politics and economy. We are the real beneficiaries of the achievements of all aspects of social development and human rights in Tibet.
Broadly speaking, human rights can be prioritized in two basic rights—the right to life and the right to development. Compared with old Tibet, Tibet's human rights are an epoch-making leap. Since the democratic reform, under the cordial care of the Party Central Committee, Tibet's human rights and all aspects of Tibet's development have indeed achieved unprecedented and tremendous historical achievements.
First, the Tibetans enjoy the equality of political rights and are able to participate in the administration of regional and state affairs. In the national and local people's congresses and the annual Two Sessions (the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference), the deputies are composed by a majority of Tibetans and other minorities from the Tibet Autonomous Region. They are always greatly pleased and highly honored to attend the sessions. In their strikingly embroidered traditional clothes, they speak on behalf of their people. They fulfil the duties entrusted to them by their people and extend the wishes of Tibetans and other minority people as much as they can.
The Chairman of the Tibet regional government and the Director of the local People's Congress are cadres of ethnic minorities, mainly local Tibetan cadres. Most Party secretaries and county heads of Tibetan cities and counties are also ethnic minority cadres. People here enjoy equal political participation, and representatives are chosen regardless of their ethnic nationality and social status. The right to live is also clearly protected and the Constitution and laws guarantee the lives and property of the general public in Tibet. People can participate in economic and social activities as long as they fall within the law and are free to love, marry, and hold weddings and funerals. The Party and the government have also taken many measures to improve medical conditions, extend the life expectancy of the people of Tibet and improve the health of the people. We have invested a large amount of funds and started many projects in this aspect. There are many endemic diseases in Tibet, such as high-altitude cardiovascular disease and rheumatism, and there are children with congenital heart disease. The Party and the government attach much importance to this and have made great efforts to build a large number of medical institutions at the autonomous region, prefecture and county levels. We now have big hospitals at the autonomous region level, Class A hospitals in the counties, health centers in the towns, and health clinics in the villages — all staffed with many medical professionals. They have worked hard to serve the people and patiently prevent and treat diseases for the general public. Therefore, many people are now freed from the pain of disease and live a happy and healthy life.
Every time there is a big natural disaster, our government is quite concerned about the people in Tibet, and tries the best to help the people there. Saving lives is always the top priority. All ethnic groups in China are united and dependent on each other, and we are as inseparable as fish is to water. Whether you are of Tibetan or Han ethnic group, we are inseparable from each other. Ethnic minorities are also inseparable from each other and when encountering natural disasters, everyone rushes to the front line to help in disaster relief efforts. In the face of disasters, they demonstrate that "when one has difficulties, all others would support" and rescue victims of disasters such as earthquakes and mudslides in a timely manner.
As specified in the white paper, we also enjoy sufficient rights to carry out further development. But what I want to tell you is that there was no decent road in the old Tibet. All materials required for production as well as daily necessities were transported over thousands of miles by people who carried them on their backs, and by mules, horses, cattle and even sheep. The movement of such materials to Tibet relied solely on these forms of transportation. But now our infrastructure, including transportation, water, electricity, communications, etc., extends in all directions. Modern roads in Tibet now stretch over 90,000 kilometers. In the past, millions of Tibetan serfs had never left their villages, never seen a plane or even heard of a car, but now almost every family has their own vehicles, and is free to travel everywhere. Those who had never seen an airplane, now not only can board a plane and go to various places in China, but also have the option to become a pilot themselves. In the past, people lit up their homes with oil lamps, but now homes can be brightly lit by electric lamps with just a flick of a switch. The roads and highways are also all illuminated by lights. It is clear that human rights have developed and progressed in Tibet.
In terms of education, I would like to talk about my own experience. When I first left home, I did not know much about the outside world. We were not educated back then. However, now I am not only fluent in the Tibetan language, but also the Chinese language. I can communicate conveniently with people from the rest of China and other parts of the world.
Besides, in the old Tibet, only 5 percent of the people, mostly feudal serf owners, were entitled to education; and the rest of the people, about a million serfs, did not have the right to education. Now, we are all entitled to education, and the state has founded many schools in Tibet.
As far as I know, there are over 2,200 schools of various kinds in Tibet, and all school-age children can go to school. They enjoy education in a good environment, and can learn a lot of knowledge. They learn the Tibetan language, the Chinese language, and even the languages of many other countries. This is a huge historic breakthrough of human rights in the field of education. The serfs could not even dream about this before, as it would have been totally unimaginable.
In terms of culture, our Party and state pay great attention to the cultural development of Tibet. Many cultural and historical sites in Tibet have been well protected and developed. As many temples are made of wood and mud, the state has spent huge amounts of money to renovate and protect them from weathering and natural disasters. There are 55 national cultural relics protection units and 616 regional cultural relics units in Tibet. Some important historical sites, including the Potala Palace in Lhasa, have entered the UNESCO's world cultural heritage list, and have enjoyed appropriate protection.
In terms of freedom of religious belief, there is a saying that "seeing is believing." You can go all around Tibet and see that people are free to practice their religious beliefs. The law protects every person's right to freedom of religious belief, and there are no restrictions on religious beliefs. In addition, the state constantly renovates religious buildings, and connects them with running water, electricity and roads, which was unimaginable in the past. Many of the temples in Tibet are built on high mountains, but are now easily accessible by car now. The monks' lives have become more convenient, and they can feel that the Party and the government sincerely care and pay great attention to them.
Tibet has always prioritized ecological protection, and many measures have been taken and many laws and rules issued. We have implemented the concept that fresh water and lush mountains are invaluable assets. The ecological environment in Tibet has been fully protected.
In short, people of all ethnic groups in Tibet can not only take part in the management of state and local affairs on an equal footing, but can also enjoy a peaceful and happy life in which babies can be nurtured, children can be educated, workers can be duly paid, patients can be treated in time and the elderly can be supported appropriately.
People can receive payment for all their work. All people have places to live in and all needy hands can be helped. People of different ethnic groups in Tibet love the CPC and their motherland. They feel content with their happy lives in the big family of the motherland, under the leadership of the Party. And they tend to use all kinds of ways to show their appreciation to the Party.
For example, every year during the National Day, local people hang the national flag at home to show their devotion to the motherland. In the Spring Festival and Tibetan New Year, they devote the first cup of highland barley wine, the first piece of hada and their first song to the Party, the motherland, the leaders and relatives in other parts of the country. This speaks volumes about the historical achievements of human rights conditions in Tibet, as well as local people's satisfaction with the development and conditions of human rights in Tibet.
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