Tibet, since its illegal occupation by the Chinese in the year 1951, has been deprived of development and economic growth. The Chinese authorities fear that the economic growth might make the freedom movement in Tibet stronger. Policy experts in China also feel that the protests and demonstrations might take a militarised form leading to a major internal security crisis for China.
The Chinese propaganda showcases the so-called development in Tibet that primarily included a vast network of roads and railways in the region. However, the intentions of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) are well known among the locals. Tibetans had realised long back that the infrastructure has been created for building up a formidable force on the India-China border to facilitate quick mobilisation in case of any contingency.
There are three “T”, that define Chinese insecurity- Taiwan, Tibet, and Tiananmen Square. All three “T” are a testament to the Chinese oppressive regime and the extent to which the Chinese Communist Party or the CCP is willing to go to protect its authority and crush any voice of dissent in its perceived territory. By implementing this ruthless policy, the Chinese, since they illegally occupied Tibet, have been subjecting its inhabitants who unfortunately do not fit into the Han way of life, to unending brutalities and have deliberately subjected them to a life of backwardness.
The major reason behind this tactic is to ensure that Tibetans are subjugated through poverty and hardships so that they are not able to group and rebel against the government to seek their well-deserved freedom. Through a series of repressive policies, the CCP has endeavoured to break the spine of the Tibetan freedom struggle and has exploited the people and the land to satisfy its economic greed.
Chinese restrictions
The Chinese claim that they have worked extensively towards alleviating the Tibetans of poverty and simultaneously refuting various reports on the human rights violations and abuse that are being committed by them. They have also denied indulgence in data fudging and representing bogus data to mislead the global community about the economic growth in the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR). In fact, the CCP has imposed strict restrictions on the movement of journalists in TAR and has banned foreign reporters from visiting the region. This has created an atmosphere where whatever is reported and claimed by CCP and its mouthpieces such as the Global Times, must be relied upon.
Economic disparities
Various studies conducted by independent think tanks and researchers have shed light on the existing economic disparities that still exist between mainland and western China where most of the minorities live. Poverty has long been a problem for Tibetans, who are still among the poorest people in Asia. According to a study outside China, the estimates suggest that 34 per cent of the population lives in extreme poverty. However, the Chinese government claims that since the implementation of its 11th five-year plan, it has cut Tibetans’ poverty in half.
It’s pertinent to note that according to official accounts, between 2010 and 2013, the poverty rate decreased from 34% to 18%. The Chinese quoting these statistics have been quick enough to pat their backs and claim victory in front of the whole world while covering up their real intentions. In reality, the Chinese have coerced the Tibetans to do forced manual labour and often make them go through rigorous labour training camps.
According to an independent study, the Chinese Communist Party CCP, has been forcing Tibetans to go through military-styled labour training, and re-education to eradicate the “harmful influence” of their religion which the Chinese perceive as a threat. Although government representatives claimed back in 2019 that the designation of “poverty-stricken” would be completely abolished in that very year.
Apart from the Chinese government’s mouthpieces, none of the independent reports have suggested that the Chinese have been successful in doing so. Instead, the Chinese government is actively displacing the Tibetan herders, claiming their lands, and providing financing for the construction of new dwellings and through this the Chinese government wants to destroy Tibetan culture, entrap the people in debt, and further push them into forced work. It is in this context that some experts have mentioned that whilst on the outside, it might look all well, with concrete-built homes, enhanced infrastructure and technology but it is all a sham, propagated by the government-controlled media or academia affiliated to the CCP.
Tibetans in labour camps
Another important issue is of the Chinese provinces in the East that continue to face huge shortages of labour as in the mainland, most of the young able people are university graduates and expect white collar jobs. They are reluctant to pick up the blue-collared jobs that require them to engage in manual labour. This has created a major shortage in various manufacturing units and industries. The Chinese, thus, have implemented a strategy that enables them to exploit the Tibetan people and fill these vacancies in various industries.
The socio-economic ‘re-education’ of the Tibetans through these labour camps is all a part of the One China policy of President Xi Jinping. In accordance with the Tibetan Autonomous Region’s 2019 work report, the required ‘retraining or re-education’ was completed by 571,000 former members of farming and herding groups. By 2020, it is aimed to ‘re-educate’ an extra 100,000 people from rural areas and move 600,000 people as part of the initiative. The forced internment of individuals in these Nazi-style concentration camps does not constitute poverty reduction.
Conclusion
China’s Tibet policy is primarily based on ruthless exploitation hidden under the façade of mega infrastructure projects which are showcased to the rest of the world as a sign of development in this region. The CCP increasingly controls and monitors ethnic Tibetans on a large scale, mapping their everyday life. They also monitor their access to technology and information and have made them more dependent on the government. Also, the Tibetans, due to their lack of robust primary education system are now facing major challenges in educational institutions as the CCP has made it mandatory for all primary and higher institutes to make Mandarin as the medium of instruction.
This knee-jerk policy has hampered the growth of the Tibetan youth who want to seek employment outside the TAR. Tibetans have been struggling to escape from this vicious trap while the CCP continues to tighten its clutches to strangle all legitimate Tibetan aspirations.