Opinion Tibet is no socialist paradise

In 1950,when the Chinese Army first came to Tibet,they promised a socialist paradise. After more than 60 years of misrule,Tibet is no socialist paradise. There is not socialism but colonialism; there is no paradise,only tragedy.

Some Tibetans helped build roads to Tibet from China and were paid in silver coins by polite and respectful Chinese soldiers. However,once the roads were built in early 1950s,tanks encircled strategic urban areas,trucks headed straight to the mineral-rich mountains,and Chinese workers arrived later to exploit billions of dollars worth of gold,copper and uranium. Overnight,it seemed,something had changed. The polite Chinese people changed,too,and became overbearing and aggressive. They used their guns. Battles erupted. There was death and destruction.

The continuing political repression,cultural assimilation,economic marginalisation and environmental destruction in occupied Tibet are unacceptable. The new railway line from Beijing to Lhasa is bringing more heavy equipment to exploit our natural resources and more Chinese migrants,who are beginning to demographically dominate Tibet. Today,around 70 per cent of private-sector firms are owned or run by Chinese,more than 50 per cent of government officials are Chinese,and approximately 40 per cent of educated Tibetans are unemployed. This is made worse by officials who treat Tibet as their personal inheritance,and behave like latter-day feudal lords.

Earlier this year,several Chinese leaders visited Lhasa to celebrate 60 years of so-called peaceful liberation. But the reality is that the anniversary was observed under undeclared martial law. Troops carried automatic machine guns as they marched through the streets of Lhasa while sharpshooters positioned themselves on rooftops.

The Tibetan political leadership is still committed to nonviolence and a peaceful resolution through dialogue. We will continue our “middle way” policy,which seeks genuine autonomy for Tibet within the People’s Republic of China,a win-win proposition for both the Tibetans and the Chinese.

China aspires to be a superpower. It has a fast-growing economy backed by growing military power,but sadly,its moral power is lagging behind. And moral power cannot be bought in the marketplace or forced with military might. It has to be earned. As long as Tibetans are reduced to second-class citizens in their own homeland,there will be resistance to Chinese rule.

Peaceful dialogue could lead to genuine Tibetan autonomy within China. This is a solution that would satisfy all,and it would be a victory not only for the Tibetan people,but for all marginalised people around the world.

Lobsang Sangay is the new kalon tripa,or prime minister,of the Tibetan government in exile