Chinese Tibet and Outsiders

By Elaine

When comes to question begin with letter “T”, China never gives a satisfactory answer. 

Recently, with the completion of Qinghai-Tibet Railway, a rapidly growing number of tourists rush into the plateau to appreciate its mystery, which constantly invigorates the local economy. It seems that everything is as peaceful as the idyllic landscapes in Tibet, but, as a matter of fact, many of the monastery’s resident monks are not calm about their lives and complain that “government intrusive policies to encourage tourism are strangling their culture and identity.” 

Since 2008, in the wake of violent protests that swept Tibet and self-immolations that followed, security forces have tightened their grip. There exists a largely unseen web of controls that nips the unrest in the bud: Surveillance cameras, paid informers and plainclothes security agents who hide in the busloads of tourists. Government is alert and keeps everything under the control to prevent the religious affairs from joining periphery power and threaten the regime. During 2008 Olympics torch relay, some aggressive protestor assaulted the torch bearer in attempt to destroy the relay procedure, which even influenced the relation between France and China. 

Still, many international organizations like International Campaign for Tibet call for more freedom for the religion. Chinese government acclaims that all Tibetan affairs should be and only can be solved domestically without any foreign power. 


sources:http://www.nytimes.com/index.html?partner=rss&emc=rss