Tibetans and people of other ethnic groups constitute 78 percent of all officials at the county, prefectural and regional levels in the Tibet Autonomous Region, according to figures recently released by the regional statistical bureau.

Tibetans and other ethnic people now account for 57 percent of the chairman and vice-chairmen of the regional government, 87.5 percent of the chairman and vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the Tibet Regional People's Congress, and 90 percent of the standing committee members of the regional people's political consultative conference.

Since the regional government was founded in 1965, Tibetans have held the posts of standing committee chairman of the regional people's congress on six occasions, and chairman of the regional people's government on seven occasions.

Twelve out of the 19 deputies to the National People's Congress are Tibetans. The 14th Dalai Lama, 10th Panchen Lama, Ngapoi Ngawang Jigme and Pagbalha Geleg Namgyai, all Tibetans, had served as vice chairmen of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. Twenty-nine Tibetans and other ethnic people have acted as members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and even the standing committee member of the CPPCC National Committee.

(Xinhua News Agency June 15, 2004)