Political autonomy right

The Tibetan race is one of the 55 ethnic minority groups in China. It is the Central Government’s basic policy to follow the regional national autonomy policy in areas where ethnic minorities live in compact community, and set up autonomous organs for people of the minority group to manage local affairs.

The Tibet Autonomous Region is one of five provincial-level autonomous regions in China. Since its founding in 1965, the broad masses of the Tibetan people have been enjoying political, economic and cultural rights bestowed by law. Under the leadership of the Central Government, Tibet has gained satisfactory socio-economic development, and the Tibetans now live a better life. Facts testify to the truth that national regional autonomy is a fundamental system that guarantees the Tibetans be masters of their own fate and enjoying common prosperity together with peoples of other ethnic groups in China. The system conforms to the actual situation of China, Tibet included.

Tibetan people enjoy the right to fully participate in State affairs in accordance with the law; in the meantime, they enjoy the right to manage the affairs of Tibet and the Tibetan race.

Since the founding of the Tibet Autonomous Region, the Tibetan people have participated in the elections of deputies to national and local people’s congresses, and they manage the State and local affairs through these deputies. In 2002, 93.09 percent of electorates in Tibet participated in the direct elections at the regional, prefectural (city) and county (township) levels, with a 100 percent voting rate in some places. Tibetan and other ethnic minority deputies account for over 80 percent of the total number of deputies to the people’s congresses at regional and prefectural levels, and their percentage is higher than 90 percent at country and township levels. All the deputies work hard in accordance with the law.

Forming a high-quality team of cadres of ethnic minorities constitutes a major content of the system of national regional autonomy, and is a symbol of ethnic people being masters of their own fate. This has been growing in strength ever since the 1950s. A considerable number of Tibetans and people of other ethnic groups work in the Central Government and State departments, or in the governments at various levels in the Tibet Autonomous Region. They hold important positions and enjoy a say in State and regional affairs. The 14th Dalai Lama, the 10th Panchen Erdeni, Ngapoi Ngawang Jigmei, Parblha Geleg Namgyi and Radi all used to serve as members of the NPC Standing Committee. Among the deputies to the National People’s Congress, 13 are from the Tibetan ethnic group, while one belongs to the Moinba ethnic group and another is of Lhoba origin. At present, 29 people of the Tibetan and other ethnic groups work as CPPCC members and as members of its Standing Committee. They include Ngapoi Ngawang Jigmei and Parblha Geleg Namgyi who are vice-chairmen of the CPPCC National Committee. Since the founding of the Tibet Autonomous Region, Tibetan people have taken all of the six terms of chairmanship of the Standing Committee of the Tibet Autonomous Regional People’s Congress and the seven chairmanship of the people’s government of the region. Since the Tibet Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference was founded in 1959, Tibetan people have taken all of the five chairmanship of the committee. At present, Tibetan and other ethnic minority people account for 87.5 percent among the chairperson and vice chairpersons of the Standing Committee of the People’s Congress of the Tibet Autonomous Region and 69.23 percent of the total members of the committee. Tibetans or people of other ethnic minority groups make up 87.5 percent of the chairmen or vice-chairmen of the Standing Committee of the Tibet Autonomous Region; 69.23 percent of the members of the Standing Committee of the People’s Congress of the Tibet Autonomous Region; 57 percent of the chairmen and vice-chairmen of the TAR government; and 90.42 percent and 89.4 percent of the members of the Standing Committee of the Tibet Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and members of the Tibet Committee. Tibetan and other ethnic minority people also constitute 77.97 percent of the government staff at regional, prefectural/municipal and county levels, and form 69.82 percent of court staff and 82.25 percent of procuratorate staff at these levels.

Implementing local rules and regulations for management constitutes another right stipulated in the PRC Constitution and the PRC Law on National Regional Autonomy.

In accordance with the Constitution, the self-government organs of the Tibet Autonomous Region exercise the functions and powers of a provincial-level government, as well as regional autonomy, implementing the State laws and policies in light of the local conditions. The People’s Congress of the Tibet Autonomous Region not only enjoys the power of a general provincial legislature to formulate local laws and regulations, but also have the power to formulate rules of autonomy and separate regulations based on the political, economic and cultural characteristics of local ethnic groups. Statistics show that since 1965, the People’s Congress of the Tibet Autonomous Region and its Standing Committee have formulated 220 local laws and separate regulations concerning various aspects, such as the construction of political power, social and economic development, marriage, education, spoken and written language, judicature, forest, grassland, wild animals and natural resources protection. All these laws and regulations bear strong regional ethnic autonomous characteristics.

According to the relevant provisions of the Law on Regional Ethnic Autonomy, the Tibet Autonomous Region has the right to implement in a flexible way or not to implement the resolutions, decisions and instructions of higher-level government departments that are not suitable for the actual conditions of Tibet, with the approval of the higher-level government department. It is also in a position to work out rules and regulations as a supplement to State law in the light of the local conditions.

For instance, in 1981, the Standing Committee of the TAR People’s Congress, proceeding from the actual conditions with regard to the history and marriage situation of Tibet, adopted the Modified Regulations of the TAR for the implementation of the PRC Marriage Law, which lowers the legal age for Tibetans to get married by two years. It also specifies that those involved in the system of polyandry or polygamy may continue in such relationships, so long as they do not volunteer to cut the ties among them. Given the special geographical conditions in Tibet, working people in the region work 35 hours a week, or five hours per week less than other parts of China. While following the national way to celebrate traditional festivals, the Tibetans also celebrate the Tibetan New Year, Shoton (Sour Milk Drinking) Festival and other traditional festivals.

Implementation of these local rules and regulations fully embody the superiority of the system of national regional autonomy. This guarantees that Tibetans enjoy various rights, and provides legal guarantee for the solution of problems they may encounter in social, economic and cultural development.

The autonomous power for socio-economic development

Speeding up social and economic development of the ethnic minority regions and guaranteeing the people of ethnic minorities enjoy equal right to subsistence and development constitute a key to the implementation of the regional national autonomy policy.

Working in accordance with its actual situation, the Tibet Autonomous Region, over the past four decades, has fully exercised the autonomous rights granted by the law in regard to economic and social development. It has worked out and implemented its own Five-Year Plan, setting targets for rapid economic and social development and making great efforts to improve the basic infrastructure, better people’s life and arranging economic and social development projects independently. This guarantees that Tibet will always enjoy fast and healthy social and economic development in accordance with its actual conditions.

The State also provides the region with special support and assistance in such fields as finance, taxations, material, technology and people needed by the region for socio-economic development. Since the 1980s, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council have held four national conferences on work in Tibet, which adopted a series of preferential policies and measures on economic and social development. For example, since 1984, a long-term policy that "farmland is distributed among farming households for individual management" and "livestock are allocated to individual households, and independently owned, bred and managed by them" has been carried out in the farming and pasturing areas in Tibet. The policy has greatly aroused farmers and herders’ enthusiasm for production.

In taxation, Tibet is the only region in China to enjoy a policy that taxes the people at three percentage points less than other parts of the country. Farmers and herdsmen are exempt from agricultural and animal husbandry taxes and enjoy free medical treatment; and for their children, their room and board at school is free. From 1984 to 2004, the exemption from agriculture and animal husbandry taxes surpassed 250 million Yuan.

In regard to finance, Tibet has always been enjoying a loan interest rate and an insurance rate, all two-percentage points lower than the national average. In addition, the State gives priority to support for large and medium-sized key projects in such fields as energy resources, road construction and comprehensive development, and those for social development. With regard to price hikes as a result of State adjustment of prices, the Central Government will grant subsidies. It follows the basic guideline of "relaxed control, opening wider to the outside and seeking faster expansion".

Moreover, the State gives special support to Tibet in terms of funding, technology, and personnel. From 1984 to 1994, the government and nine provinces and municipalities in the hinterland aided 43 Tibetan projects involving a total investment of 480 million Yuan. From 1994 to 2001, a total of 62 aid projects were conducted directly by the Central Government departments concerned in Tibet, involving a total investment of 4.86 billion Yuan; and 15 provinces and Central Government departments aided Tibet in 716 projects with a total investment of 3.16 billion Yuan. In 2001, the Central Government decided to invest more in the development of Tibet. From 2001 to 2005, this meant an injection of 31.2 billion Yuan in construction of 117 projects; and financial subsidies reaching 37.9 billion Yuan; 71 construction projects were undertaken by other parts of China involving total investment of 1.062 billion Yuan.

Statistics show financial expenditure in Tibet has reached 87.586 billion Yuan during the 40 years since the foundation of the Tibet Autonomous Region; of this sum, 94.9 percent came from Central Government allowances. The assistance from the Central Government and the various other parts of the country have greatly improved the production and living conditions of Tibet, making it possible for the region to move from a manor-based to a market economy. Modern industry has come into being covering some 20 different sector.

Inheritance and development of traditional Tibetan culture

Over the past 40 years, Tibet has made full use of the rights granted by the PRC Constitution to develop its cultural undertakings. This makes it possible to inherit and further develop its traditional culture.

Study and Use of Tibetan Language

The Tibet Autonomous Region enacted and implemented the Stipulations of the Tibet Autonomous Region for the Study, Use and Development of the Tibetan Language (For Trial Implementation) and the Rules for the Implementation of the Stipulations of the Tibet Autonomous Region for the Study, Use and Development of the Tibetan Language (For Trial Implementation) in 1987 and 1988 respectively. Both contain clear stipulations for equal importance on the use of Tibetan and Han Chinese, but mainly the use of Tibetan language. This marks the first time in more than 1,300 years for Tibet to have a special law to protect its own language.

Teaching materials for students from primary to high schools, which are in Tibetan, have been compiled. In the Tibet Autonomous Region today, primary schools mainly teach in Tibetan; while middle schools use both Tibetan and Chinese (depending on the situation); as do high schools. Tibet middle schools and Tibetan classes have also been established in inland provinces; and the Tibetan language is taught in middle schools.

All regulations adopted by people’s congresses at various levels in Tibet, and all documents of governments at all levels in the region have both Tibetan and Chinese versions. Legal issues involving Tibetans also use Tibetan language.

Official stamps, certificates, forms, envelopes, logos of various units, as well as sign boards of government institutions, factories, schools, bus stations, airports, stadiums, libraries and roads are all marked in the Tibetan and Han Chinese languages. Radio and TV programs in Tibetan have been created. For instance, the Tibet People’s Radio Broadcast Station has many programs in the Tibetan and Khampa languages. Each year, Tibet creates many films and TV plays, all dubbed in Tibetan, to the delight of the Tibetan audience; the Tibetan Language Translation Office of the TAR Movie Co. produces 25 translated items and more than 500 copies.

Use of computer technology and popularity of Internet combine to provide a wide platform for the study, development and use of the Tibetan language. A domestically developed advanced Tibetan language editing system, laser layout system, and electronic publishing system are widely adopted in Tibet. There has been a sharp increase in various kinds of applicable software being adopted; the Tibetan letters computerized coding system meets State and international standards. The Tibetan language is the first minority ethnic language in China to meet international standards.

Numerous people who can read and speak Tibetan browse for news in that language on the Internet. This has become part of their daily life. On December 20, 2005, the Tibet People’s Radio Broadcasting Station joined hands with the China Radio International in operating Tibetan language programs on the Beijing-based "International Line"-website, including "Ballad Singing on King Gesar", "Approaching Tibet", "Holy Land of Tibet" and "Love Expressed in Songs". This opens a window for people of the Tibetan ethnic group in the Tibet-inhabited areas to learn more about the world, and also for Tibetan compatriots living overseas to understand China, Tibet included.

Rescuing Cultural Relics

Outstanding traditional culture is well carried forward, protected and developed in Tibet. For this purpose, governments at various levels in the region have set up special organs geared to rescue, compiling and studying cultural heritages. Works published on this basis come of ten categories, including Collected Folk Tales of China: Tibet Volume, Collected Folk Sayings of China: Tibet Volume, Collected Operas: Tibet Volume, and others such as folk dances, sayings, ballads and folk songs. They represent success achieved in the rescuing and protecting of traditional Tibetan culture. King Gesar, the world’s longest epic created by the Tibetan people, has been passed on for generations orally. The Tibet Autonomous Region set up a special agency in 1979 to salvage and collate the gem of world epics. The attempt was listed as a key national research project. Through efforts of more than 20 years, over 3,000 tapes have been recorded and close to 300 Tibetan manuscripts and woodblocks have been collected. Altogether 62 Tibetan versions have been collated and published with some 3 million copies. More than 20 Chinese versions of the epic have also been published, some of which have been translated into English, Japanese and French.

Respecting Customs and Habits

The customs and habits of the Tibetans receive due respect and protection. The Tibetan race and other ethnic minorities in the region enjoy the right to live in their own way in terms of daily life and social activities. While retaining their own costumes, diet and housing styles, the Tibetans pursue for things new. In the region, traditional holidays such as Tibetan New year, Sagya Dawa Festival, Ongkor (Bumper Harvest) Festival and Shoton (Sour Milk Drinking) Festival are still celebrated. In addition, Tibet applies for King Gesar, Tibetan opera, Shannan Moinba opera, Xuanzi dance, Gorzhuang dance, Raba dance, Shannan Changgo Cho dance, Changmo in Tashilhungpo Monastery of Xigaze, tangka paintings and Lhasa kites have been listed as the first group of recommended candidates for the List of Non-Tangible Cultural Relics of China; they cover such fields as literature, dance, opera, fine art, handicraft and traditional medicine.