Indian journalist tells Tibet's reality, slaps separatists' lies

• Source: Xinhua
• [09:38 October 23 2009]
• Comments

"Nobody in their right mind could accuse the Chinese central government - with its sights set firmly on economic development, political stability, and 'building a harmonious society' and just ahead of the August 2008 Beijing Olympics - of any new set of suppressive measures, political, economic, social, or cultural, against the 2.6 million ethnic Tibetans who constitute more than 92 percent of the 2.87 million population of the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) or against the 3.9 million Tibetans who live in other Chinese provinces and regions outside TAR," he said.

"The Dalai Lama has charged China with committing 'cultural genocide,' but this is contradicted," Ram said, citing a long list of facts showing what the Chinese central government has done in protecting the Tibetan culture and religion.

He said there exist 1,700 monasteries and other Tibetan Buddhist religious sites with their 46,300 monks and nuns, four mosques for 3,000 Muslims, and a Catholic church for 700 Christians, and the government also conducted the protection and showcasing of the Potala Palace and other priceless heritage sites and the flourishing of the Tibetan language.

On human rights, Ram said, "One way of examining the issue of human rights is from the point of view of the entitlements or capability approach to the well-being and quality of life, as set out by the Nobel prize-winning Indian economist, Amartya Sen."

Ram quoted a commentator on Sen's work as saying, "Measuring real freedom in terms of indicators such as life expectancy, literacy and educational attainments, levels of nutrition, access to health care, employment, social respect and political participation are central to assessing how individuals and societies are faring."

"In the case of China's Tibet, the reality testing was against the defining themes of the Dalai Lama-led 'Independence for Tibet' campaign," he said.

The forum, with the theme Tibet: Development Prospects and Cooperation Opportunities, has attracted more than 400 participants from China, Italy, Austria, the United States, India, Australia, Spain and Belgium.

More than 20 Chinese and foreign government officials, experts, scholars and entrepreneurs will address the forum to talk about the development of Tibet and explore opportunities for cooperation in economic, social and cultural sectors.

The forum is the second of its kind. The first was held in Vienna in November 2007.