Impoverishing Tibetans: China’s Flawed Economic Policy in Tibet
The recurrent theme, which appears in the official Chinese discourse on Tibet, is that of development and growth. Very often the Chinese government has attempted to negate criticism of its human rights history in Tibet by asserting that the Tibetan people have benefited as a result of the development policies implemented by the Chinese authorities.
As an illustration of their claims, official Chinese reports state, “The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of the Tibetan Autonomous Region was 3 billion yuan in 1992 and 3.6 billion yuan in 1993. But by 1997 it was 7.35 billion yuan, an increase of 83.57% since 1993 in adjusted terms and representing an annual increase of 12.9%. Grain production increased from 500,000 tons in the early ’90s to 820,000 in 1997. Tibetans enjoy a per capita grain share of over 350 Kg; most farmers and herders have enough to eat and wear, and the number of those considered poverty-stricken has dropped to some 200,000 since 1994. Tibet’s revenue has risen from 109 million yuan in 1992 to 250 million yuan in 1997.”
In a recent brochure inviting foreign investment into Tibet, the Chinese government proudly claims, “There is a highway system in Tibet that consists of 15 main highways and 315 branch highways. The total length of the roads in Tibet suitable for automobiles is 22,000 kilometers of which 920 km is made of asphalt. There are 433 power plants with a capacity of 1,70,000 kilowatts. Furthermore, there are several energy resource facilities being built and will be put into operation one after another to meet the development needs.
If the claims of the Chinese government are to be believed then Tibet is one of the most economically developed regions in China. And yet the growing number of refugees escaping Tibet, and their testimonies, seem to indicate that while there has been notable economic growth in Tibet, especially in the urban areas, this has principally benefited the Chinese settlers. Furthermore, it has been a growth heavily dependent on state subsidies and characterised by a preference for large-scale infrastructure projects, mining, or state-owned industry. This kind of growth has been very top-down and has yet to encourage active Tibetan participation or ownership in either the means of production or its outcomes. There is also evidence to suggest a systematic marginalisation of the Tibetans from the mainstream economy. This is resulting in the creation of a new social underclass whose task is primarily to service the mainstream economy.
This report seeks to analyse the claims of the Chinese government contrasting them where possible with independent statistics and figures, as well as with the oral testimonies of refugees who have come to India. It also seeks to analyse the policies of the Chinese government through the prism of international human rights law principles. Finally, this report shall argue for a right to development for the Tibetan peoples.
The methodology employed is to look at what constitutes development, both in its legal as well as its empirical sense. To that end this report relies on the narratives of the Tibetan refugees as proof of the socio-economic condition of the Tibetan people.
Download the full report here.