Foreword by Donald Lopez ...................................... xvi
Preface to the English edition by Katia Buffetrille .......... xxii
Acknowledgments ............................................. xxvii
Abbreviations and Conventions .............................. xxviii
Maps .......................................................... xxx
PART ONE. HISTORICAL FACTS
1. Some Tibetans in self-exile have repeatedly claimed
that Tibet and China are two different countries. What
does history have to say? .................................... 3
The Tibetan Empire / Helga Uebach
The Yuan Dynasty / Elliot Sperling
2. Some Tibetans have argued that the Yuan emperor, Kublai
Khan, and Pagba, a leading Tibetan lama of the Sagya
Sect, only established the religious relationship of
"the benefactor and the lama"; political subordination
was not involved. Is this right? ............................ 14
Elliot Sperling
3. How did the Yuan Dynasty exercise its sovereignty
over Tibet? ................................................. 15
Elliot Sperling
4. It has been argued that the Mongolians incorporated
Tibet into China by conquest in a manner not too
dissimilar to Britain's occupation of India and Burma.
What do you think of the claim that just as India
cannot now regard Burma as part of its territory,
so China cannot claim sovereignty over Tibet? ............... 17
Elliot Sperling
5. Did the Ming and Qing dynasties continue to exercise
the sovereignty over Tibet established by the Yuan
dynasty? .................................................... 18
The Ming Dynasty / Elliot Sperling
The Qing Dynasty / Anne Chayet
6. Can you outline the origins of the Dalai Lama and
the Bainqen Erdini? Did the establishment of these
positions have anything to do with the Chinese central
government? ................................................. 33
Anne Chayet
7. Are there any historical documents which provide
evidence that Tibet is part of China? ....................... 37
Anne Chayet
8. Why was the issue of "Tibetan independence" raised
early in this century? ...................................... 39
Tsering Shakya and Anne-Marie Blondeau
9. It has been claimed that China only has suzerainty
over Tibet. Is this right? .................................. 44
Tsering Shakya
10.How did Britain and the United States interfere
with China's domestic affairs with regard to Tibet
in the past? ................................................ 45
Tsering Shakya and Anne-Marie Blondeau
11.What are the views of foreign countries on the
"independence of Tibet"? .................................... 50
Anne-Marie Blondeau
12.An American newspaper said that Tibet did not
become part of China until 1950, and only in
the late 1970s did the Carter administration
officially recognize China's sovereignty over
Tibet. Does this accord with history? ....................... 53
Anne-Marie Blondeau
13.Under what circumstances did the PLA decide to march
into Tibet? ................................................. 55
Samten Karmay
14.What was the content of the Agreement on Measures
for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet signed between
China's Central Government and the local government
of Tibet? ................................................... 64
Anne-Marie Blondeau
15.What was the Dalai Lama's attitude toward this agreement? ... 67
Anne-Marie Blondeau
16.Since peaceful liberation, what policies has the Chinese
government pursued in Tibet? ................................ 70
Elliot Sperling
17.What caused the 1959 rebellion in Tibet? .................... 74
Jampa Panglung
18.How did the Chinese government deal with those who
participated in the March 1959 rebellion? ................... 78
Elliot Sperling
PART TWO. HUMAN RIGHTS
19.What were the conditions regarding human rights in
Tibet before democratic reform? ............................. 81
Robert Barnett
20.What rights do the Tibetan people enjoy? .................... 84
Robert Barnett
21.Some people have said that Tibet has several hundred
prisons holding many thousands of political prisoners.
Others have claimed that Tibet has 73 prisons with
80,000 prisoners. What are the facts? ....................... 87
Robert Barnett
22.Some foreign newspapers have claimed that the Chinese
killed more than 1 million Tibetans. Is this true? .......... 88
Robert Barnett
23.In 1987, two men were executed in Tibet. Were they
political prisoners? ........................................ 90
Robert Barnett
24.What is the true story of Geshi Luosang Wangzhu,
a so-called ideological criminal the U.S. Congress
has asked to be released? ................................... 92
Robert Barnett
25.It has been claimed that the Chinese have tried
prisoners in Tibet at mass rallies, after which
they were immediately killed. Is it true? ................... 93
Robert Barnett
26.Some people have accused China of carrying out "racial
segregation" and "racial discrimination" in Tibet. What
is the reality? ............................................. 94
Robert Burnett
27.Some people have said that Tibetans cannot act freely
in Tibet, and that Tibetan cadres and children aged
under 18 cannot travel abroad. Is this true? ................ 97
Robert Barnett
28.The Dalai Lama and others say that Tibetan children have
been deprived of the right to education and that Tibet
has become an area of illiteracy. Is this true? ............. 98
Robert Barnett
29.It is reported that there are serious problems of
unemployment and child labor among the Tibetans.
Is that true? .............................................. 101
Robert Barnett
30.People at the side of the Dalai Lama also said that
the hospitals in Tibet only serve the Han people.
Is that true? .............................................. 103
Robert Barnett
31.How long is the average life span of Tibetans living
in Tibet? How is it compared with what it was before
the peaceful liberation of Tibet? .......................... 105
Robert Barnett
32.Some people have claimed that China practised forced
sterilization and the killing of infants in Tibet.
Is this true? .............................................. 107
Robert Barnett
PART THREE. POLICIES TOWARD THE DALAI LAMA
33.What policy has the central government adopted toward
the Dalai Lama? ............................................ 113
Per Kvaerne
34.If the Dalai Lama returns, can he settle in Tibet? ......... 113
Per Kvaerne
35.What is the attitude of the Chinese government toward
the Dalai Lama's visit to other countries? ................. 115
Per Kvaerne
36.What is the basic divergence of views between the Dalai
Lama and the Chinese government and people? ................ 117
Per Kvaerne
37.What is the Chinese government's attitude toward
the "five-point proposal" put forward by the Dalai
Lama in the United States during September 1987? ........... 119
Per Kvaerne
38.How does the Chinese government view the Dalai Lama's
"New proposal" on Tibet he put forward in Strasbourg,
France, in June 1988? ...................................... 121
Anne-Marie Blondeau
39.How does the Chinese government value the idea of
a "greater Tibetan autonomous region" suggested by
some people around the Dalai Lama? ......................... 123
Anne-Marie Blondeau
40.Why doesn't China agree to apply the "one country, two
systems" concept to Tibet? ................................. 125
Anne-Marie Blondeau
41.Will the Chinese government permit the Tibetans who
fled abroad with the Dalai Lama and have acquired
foreign citizenships to return? If so, what formalities
should they go through before their homecoming visit? ...... 126
Katia Buffetrille
42.What relations does the self-exiled Dalai Lama maintain
with the Bainqen Lama? ..................................... 128
Anne-Marie Blondeau
PART FOUR. POPULATION
43.Has there been a decrease in the number of Tibetans
since the peaceful liberation of Tibet in 1951? ............ 133
Andrew M.Fischer
44.Dalai and his followers claim that 7.5 million Han
have been emigrated to Tibet, and that Tibetans have
become a minority nationality in the region. Is that
true? ...................................................... 144
Andrew M.Fischer
45.What is the Tibetan population? How is it distributed? ..... 151
Andrew M.Fischer
46.How many minority nationalities are there in China? ........ 152
Andrew M.Fischer
47.How many minority ethnic groups are there in Tibet? ........ 153
Andrew M.Fischer
PART FIVE. RELIGIOUS BELIEF
48.What policies has the Chinese government adopted toward
religious belief in Tibet? ................................. 159
Anne-Marie Blondeau
49.Some people claim that the Chinese Communist Party has
eliminated religion in Tibet. Is this true? ................ 160
Anne-Marie Blondeau
50.Did the Chinese government appropriate money for
renovating monasteries in Tibet in order to attract
more foreign tourists? ..................................... 167
Anne-Marie Blondeau
51.Are Tibetans free to take part in religious activities? .... 169
Anne-Marie Blondeau
52.How are Tibet's monasteries administered? .................. 170
Anne-Marie Blondeau
53.Are there any professional schools for training
religious workers in Tibet? ................................ 172
Anne-Marie Blondeau
54.Please give a brief account of the lamasery life.
Do lamas suffer many privations? ........................... 173
Anne-Marie Blondeau
55.Which monasteries are famous in Tibet? And what is the
situation they are in now? ................................. 178
Anne-Marie Blondeau
56.When did Tibetan Buddhism come into being? How many
sects does it have? ........................................ 181
Anne-Marie Blondeau
57.It has been reported that China will set up a "Tibetan
Buddhism Guidance Committee." What will be its tasks? ...... 185
Anne-Marie Blondeau
PART SIX. RIGHT TO AUTONOMY
58.What policies has the Chinese government adopted
in regard to minority nationalities? ....................... 191
Thierry Dodin
59.When was the Tibet Autonomous Region founded? How
many autonomous regions are there in China? ................ 197
Thierry Dodin
60.As one of the autonomous regions, what rights does Tibet
have? ...................................................... 197
Thierry Dodin
61.How many decrees on self-government have been formulated
by the Tibet Autonomous Region? ............................ 198
Thierry Dodin
62.What is the proportion of Tibetans to Han in the Tibet
Autonomous Region's civil service? ......................... 200
Thierry Dodin
63.Who were the heads of all previous governments of
the Tibet Autonomous Region ? Were they all Tibetans? ...... 202
Thierry Dodin
64.Who have served as the standing committee chairmen
of the Tibet Autonomous Regional People's Congress?
What nationality were they? ................................ 202
Thierry Dodin
65.How many counties and cities does the Tibet Autonomous
Region have under its jurisdiction? What are the
nationalities of the county magistrates and mayors? ........ 203
Thierry Dodin
66.Are there any other Tibet autonomous areas in China
apart from the Tibet Autonomous Region? .................... 203
Thierry Dodin
67.Why are none of the first secretaries of the Tibet
Autonomous Regional Committee of the Chinese Communist
Party Tibetans? ............................................ 205
Thierry Dodin
PART SEVEN. CULTURE AND EDUCATION
68.What is the policy adopted by China regarding
traditional Tibetan culture? ............................... 209
Amy Heller and Anne-Marie Blondeau
69.Some foreign newspapers have claimed that China
has paid no attention to Tibet's history and culture.
What are the facts? ........................................ 212
Amy Heller
70.What is the Chinese government's attitude toward
traditional Tibetan literature and art? .................... 214
Amy Heller and Anne-Marie Blondeau
71.What work has been done to protect cultural relics
and historical sites in Tibet? ............................. 220
Amy Heller
72.What is the situation of Tibetan studies in China? ......... 223
Amy Heller and Anne-Marie Blondeau
73.What does the China Tibetan Studies Center do?
Who runs it? ............................................... 225
Amy Heller
74.It is said that traditional Tibetan medical science
is very special. What has China done to develop it? ........ 226
Fernand Meyer
75.How about the use of the Tibetan language? ................. 234
Amy Heller and Anne-Marie Blondeau
PART EIGHT. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
Historical Comparisons ........................................ 243
Andrew M.Fischer
The Legacy of State Intervention in the Tibetan Areas
over the Past Fifty Years ..................................... 249
Andrew M.Fischer
77.What policies and assistance has the central government
provided in regard to economic development in Tibet? ....... 249
76.What is the status of economic development in Tibet? ....... 249
Constraints and Favorable Conditions for Development ....... 269
Andrew M.Fischer
78.What advantages does Tibet have for its economic
development? ............................................... 269
83.What are the main problems Tibet faces in developing its
economy? ................................................... 270
Foreign Investment and Trade ............................... 277
Andrew M.Fischer
79.Are there any Sino-foreign joint ventures or solely
foreign-funded projects in Tibet? .......................... 277
80.How does Tibet attempt to cooperate with foreign
factories? ................................................. 277
81.How do foreign people invest in Tibet? ..................... 278
82.How about Tibet's tourist resources? How do foreign
people travel in Tibet? .................................... 279
Katia Buffetrille
84.It is reported that China has deployed nuclear weapons
and dumped nuclear waste in Tibet, damaging the
environment there. Is that true? ........................... 283
Thierry Dodin
PART NINE. LIVELIHOOD OF THE PEOPLE
85.How are the living conditions in Tibet today
compared with the past? .................................... 293
Katia Buffetrille
86.Why are the living standards of Tibetans lower
than [those of] the Han people in other places? ............ 298
Andrew M.Fischer
87.Do the Tibetan and Han people enjoy equal payment for
same work? ................................................. 301
Katia Buffetrille
88.What customs and habits are there in Tibet? ................ 302
Katia Buffetrille and Janet Gyatso
89.What festivals are there in Tibet? ......................... 307
Katia Buffetrille and Janet Gyatso
PART TEN. ABOUT THE RIOTS IN LHASA
90.Some people have said that the demonstrations which
occurred in Lhasa in 1987 and 1988, despite being
peaceful, were forcibly suppressed. Is this true? .......... 313
Robert Barnett
91.What caused the riots, and did it have anything
to do with the Dalai clique? ............................... 316
Robert Barnett
92.Some people have said that in putting down the riots
in Lhasa, the police arrested and beat people
indiscriminately, killing quite a few. What is
the truth? ................................................. 318
Robert Barnett
93.Of all those arrested in the riots, how many have been
set free and how many are still in prison? How well
are they treated in prison? What will happen to them?
How many rioters, if any, were executed? ................... 321
Robert Barnett
94.Were any foreign tourists or reporters at the scene
of the riots? If there were, were they detained,
warned, or deported? ....................................... 323
Robert Barnett
95.How do religious leaders and the residents of Lhasa
view these riots since September 1987? ..................... 324
Robert Barnett
96.Why were foreigners not allowed to travel nor foreign
reporters permitted to cover news in Tibet during
riots? ..................................................... 325
Robert Barnett
97.After the riots in Lhasa, were any leaders of the
Tibet Autonomous Region dismissed or promoted?
Are more soldiers or policemen to be sent to Tibet? ........ 326
Robert Barnett
98.What countermeasures have the Tibetan authorities taken
since the riots? Are the masses allowed to hold parades
and demonstrations? ........................................ 327
Robert Barnett
99.What is the situation in Tibet now? ........................ 328
Robert Barnett
100.Some foreign newspapers said recently that the Tibet
authorities have dispatched people to temples and
monasteries to throw out those lamas and nuns who
participated in the riots.Is this true? .................... 328
Robert Barnett
A Comparative Chronology of Tibet and China ................... 331
Glossary ...................................................... 339
References .................................................... 351
Contributors .................................................. 363
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