Tibet experiencing most profound social transformation in its history: China’s white paper
DHARAMSALA, March 28: China has released yet another white paper on Wednesday claiming to have carried democratic reform and development in occupied Tibet over the last 60 years.
The white paper, titled “Democratic Reform in Tibet — Sixty Years On,” issued by China’s State Council Information Office extolled the communist regime’s democratic reform as “the greatest and most profound social transformation in the history of Tibet.”
China’s latest white paper stuck to the usual Chinese government rhetoric of calling pre-liberation Tibet as dark and backward and lauding economic and social developmental path undertaken by the Chinese government in Tibet.
“By abolishing serfdom, a grim and backward feudal system, Tibet was able to establish a new social system that liberated the people and made them the masters of the nation and society, thus ensuring their rights in all matters,” the white paper said.
Stating that the communist regime’s ‘democratic reform’ in line with the trend of the times has met the people’s real demand for social progress, the white paper claimed that “These 60 years have changed Tibet completely, turning the region into a beautiful home to the local people, seeing their solidarity and enterprising spirit and a great leap of social progress.”
The paper also condemned His Holiness the Dalai Lama for denying the achievements of democratic reform and development in Tibet, for the sake of political interests and out of a hankering for the dark and backward days of feudal serfdom.
“They disregard facts, and attempt to reverse the tide of history in opposition to the interests of human civilization,” the document added.
The paper also claimed that,” Under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the people of all ethnic groups in Tibet are working together with the whole country to create a better life and achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation,” and added that “With steady progress being made towards socialism with Chinese characteristics for a new era, Tibet is bound to have an even brighter future.”
While China claims to have liberated Tibetans from serfdom and brought economic, political, religious, cultural and social development in Tibet, the fact remains that since Feb 2009, over 150 Tibetans have self-immolated in China occupied Tibet calling for freedom, an end to Chinese occupation of Tibet and the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet.
Meanwhile, exiled Tibetans and their supporters commemorated ‘60 years of resistance’ to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of Tibetan national uprising day on March 10, earlier this year with events such as protests, rallies, sit-in and march across the free world on a day of tragic sadness that remains an enduring agony in the hearts of the Tibetan people.
