On July 1, 2006, China will launch the Gormo – Lhasa railway that will directly connect Tibetan capital Lhasa to Chinese capital Beijing. Despite the Chinese claims of the railway bringing economic prosperity and development in Tibet, Tibetans all over the world will view July 1 with concern, uncertainty and fear. The Tibetan sentiments are understandable when seen in the context of the past decades of Chinese rule in Tibet. China’s so-called development policies in the past in poverty-ridden Tibet had served only the economic interests of the Chinese immigrants in Tibet. These policies were carried out without taking into consideration the real needs of Tibetans and without putting into place inclusive policies that could ensure that the Tibetans with their distinct history, culture, language, religion and ethnic identity become the real beneficiaries.
Tibetan Women’s Association (TWA) is not against development policies per se. However, we will condemn any policies or projects initiated in Tibet if these do not benefit the Tibetans. We believe it is high time real development took place in Tibet because decades of Chinese occupation has not helped the Tibetans, rather it has forced them to live in extreme poverty. It is incomprehensible how China’s rail link to Tibet could provide the Tibetans all that has been denied during the past decades of occupation. Tibetan scepticism towards Chinese claims is justified because the former Chinese President Jiang Zemin had said: “Some people advised me not to go ahead with this project because it is not commercially viable. I said this is a political decision” (New York Times, August 10, 2001). Jiang’s words indicate that the project was conceived with political intentions and effectively refutes the current claim that it is an economic project under China’s “Western Development Plan”. This gives credence to the concern that the railway will be used as a means to consolidate Chinese control over Tibet.
The politically-motivated railway will bring an increasing number of Chinese settlers into Tibet that will further push the Tibetans to sidelines. Tibetans today have become a minority in their own land; especially in Lhasa, Chinese economic migrants have swamped economic and social strata of the Tibetan society. Chinese influx will only increase after the railway launch. It will seriously threaten the very survival of Tibetan identity and culture.
Economic marginalisation of Tibetans will be further aggravated due to the dominance of high-skilled Chinese migrant workers. Tibetans lack educational and economic opportunities unlike the Chinese who also have the added advantage of Chinese language which is a prerequisite for job seekers. In the absence of any level playing field, Tibetans will not benefit from the so-called business openings in the tourism sector post the railway launch. Most of the big businesses in Tibet including travel agencies are run by Chinese settlers.
China’s state media had in the past carried reports about how the new railroad will help transport raw materials and mineral resources from Tibet to China. Tibet has proven reserves of mineral resources and the railway will only expedite its exploitation. China has admitted that high transportation costs had prohibited it from fully exploitating Tibet’s rich mineral resources. With the railway’s arrival, China’s job has become easy and profitable.
Moreover, the fact that the railway poses serious threat to Tibet’s environment had been amply demonstrated by studies carried out by experts that includes Chinese scientists. With increased global warming on the Tibetan plateau, the 1,142-km km railway faces grave danger especially the 550 km track built on permafrost. Experts have also highlighted long-term harmful effects on the region’s flora and fauna. This in turn will have devastating effects on the overall ecology of the South Asian countries where millions depend on rivers originating from the Tibetan plateau.
It is with these concerns that TWA along with its 47 regional chapters worldwide call upon the international community to keep a close watch on China and how it uses the railway line for the benefit of economically disadvantaged Tibetans
It is necessary that an independent body oversee the allocation of jobs on the railway-related institutions and offices, tourism sector in Tibet and other sundry business establishments in the following years of the railway launch. China must ensure that the real beneficiaries are the Tibetans.
The Tibetan Women’s Association was founded in 1959 in Lhasa the capital city of Tibet. It was revived in exile in 1984. Today it is the largest NGO that is solely managed by Tibetan women with a membership of over 14000 worldwide.
Contact Person:
Mrs. B. Tsering Yeshi (Ph: 91-9418335155)
Mrs. Tenzin Bhuti (91-9418137207)
