TIBET INSIGHT Page 1 of 16 Summary • Xi sent a letter to Tibetan herders with a message on China’s border row with India • Taiwanese activists joined the campaign to condemn China for failed Tibet policy • Chamdo Party Secretary determined to build strong economic Zone in Eastern Tibet th • Tibetan Representative for 19 Party Congress were more structured TAR NEWS In letter to Tibetan herders, Xi sends message on China’s border row with India October 29, 2017 Xi’s letter was a rare response to the flood of correspondence from the public to the Chinese leader.The presidential replies are seen as a window to the priorities of their writer. The Tibetan family – comprising a father and his two daughters – wrote to Xi about their community and Xi replied on Saturday. From 1979 to 1996, the family of herders were the only inhabitants of the Himalayan village of Yumai in Lhunze county, which covers 1,976 square kilometres, according to Chinese records. The community has since grown to 32 residents but remains on the front line of China and India’s conflicting territorial claims. The letter comes two months after the end of a military stand-off between China and India on the Doklam plateau. While not referring to India directly, Xi praised the family’s decades-long efforts to “protect the Chinese territory.” “Without peace in the territory, there will be no peace for millions of families,” Xinhua quoted Xi’s letter as saying. “We will safeguard every blade of grass and tree on the motherland’s border well.” He urged the family to take inspiration from a Tibetan wild flower and continue to defend the “sacred homeland”. Without elaborating, Xinhua said the two daughters, Dolkar and Yangzom, had written to Xi about changes in Yumai. In 2015, Chinese National Geography reported that the Tibetan family’s residence had helped China maintain control of the territory. “Yumai would be occupied by India already if the family had decided to leave,” the village’s Head was quoted as saying. Executive Vice Chairman of TAR Standing Committee busy with inspection tours October 19, 2017 TAR Standing Committee Executive Vice-Chairman and Deputy Secretary of TAR Politics and Law Committee Jiang Jia, made his third inspection tour around Lhasa amid the ongoing 19th Party Congress. Page 2 of 16 Jiang Jia visited the Police Station, Tibet University and the District Party Committee, where he met Political and Legal Officers, grassroots cadres and masses to look after stability maintenance. At the Police Station, he examined the work report of the frontline police officers, and stressed the importance of maintaining ‘stability and security’, conscientiously implementing the “four consciousness”, in orderto be able to respond in the shortest time to ‘emergencies’, to be loyal to the Party and to ensure that the overall public opinion is stable and proves to be a strong ideological support for the ongoing 19th Party Congress. Jiang Jia urged students at the Tibet University to pay heed to the work report of General Secretary Xi Jinping at the 19th Party Congress and learn the spirit of Xi Jinping’s ‘new era of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, and march together with the Party to achieve the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and Chinese dream.” Tibetans in Lhoka gather to watch live webcast of the 19th Party Congress October 23, 2017 34 Party members, including officials, nomads and officers from border police stations, and some other residents gathered at Pumaqangtang of Nagartse County of Lhoka (Ch: Shannan) to watch the live webcast of the 19th Party Congress. The gathering held a flag-raising ceremony and danced to celebrate the inauguration of the Congress on 18th October. At an altitude of 5,373 meters, Pumaqangtang, the highest town in the world, reportedly has 1000 inhabitants according to Party Chief of the township Kalsang Choelha. The Party Chief stated that he is “excited to see the Congress open successfully and was inspired by the achievements mentioned by Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CCP Central Committee.” "He put great emphasis on people's well-being. As a grassroots cadre in the border regions, I will follow the spirit of Xi's report with my colleagues and make every effort to improve people's livelihoods and safeguard the harmony and stability of areas inhabited by ethnic groups," he said. Great changes have happened in Pumaqangtang in the past five years. In 2015, the township in Nakarze County was connected with a paved road to the county's downtown area, and the whole township is now covered by communication and internet services, the 36-year-old said. Page 3 of 16 By the end of last year, per capita disposable income in the township reached 9,490 yuan ($1,434). People from two of the six villages in the township are expected to move into newly built settlements this year, and people from another three villages will have new houses next year, thanks to a 150 million yuan village construction project. He said he firmly believes the country will be stronger with the Party's leadership under Xi. Doctor Delegate from Ngari thank CCP for low Mortality rate in Tibet October 20, 2017 Tsering Pachen, a doctor and a Female Delegate from Ngari (Ch: Ali) Prefecture thanked the CCP for its “care and concern” during the 19th Party Congress for a low mortality rate in Tibet for the last five years. She believes that the decrease in mortality rate was due to the “good policies of the Central Government” and various incentives like reimbursement of hospital bills of pregnant women during labour/delivery and aftercare subsidies leading to low mortality rate” and secondly, due to the launch of “Medical Aid to Tibet “and trained doctors with the help of Aid Tibet. Chamdo Delegate Abu’s three Commitments from the 19th Party Congress October 21, 2017 Secretary of Chamdo Municipal Party Committee Abu (Ethnicity: Han/Muslim) at the meeting of the Tibetan Delegation at the ongoing 19th Party Congress re-emphasised his three commitments, which were absolute loyalty to the Party, development of Chamdo infrastructures and to maintain long term stability in the region. Chamdo Party Secretary determined to build strong economic Zone in Eastern Tibet October 25, 2017 Abu (Ethnicity: Han Muslim), Party Secretary of Chamdo was one of the delegates for the 19th Party Congress. He and his party are determined to study and implement the spirit of the 19th Party Congress, to promote the development of Chamdo and maintain long term stability. The 19th Party Congress is a watershed moment. Officials and masses should abide by the newly enshrined thought of Xi Jinping, “Socialism with Chinese Characteristic in the new era” to achieve the Chinese dream and to rejuvenate the “Great Chinese Nation.” Page 4 of 16 Abu said that under the guidance of the “Core” Leader Xi Jinping, Chamdo had seen remarkable economic and social development from infrastructural constructions to protection and improvement of the people’s livelihood to urban and rural resettlement projects. He is determined to build a strong economic zone in eastern Tibet, he added at the 19th Party Congress. Tibetan Representatives of 19th delegates arrived in Beijing October 15, 2017 It is reported that the representative of Tibet, who attended the 19th Congress of the CCP had arrived in Beijing by plane on 15th October, 2017. As they were leaving from Tibet, the District Committee Standing Committee, organization minister Zeng Wanming saw them off from the airport. After reaching the international airport of the Beijing, the representatives said that there has been constant development and progress for the last five years with comrade Xi Jinping as the core. The regional government has followed the central rules of taking good care of the people and also solving any kind of difficulties faced by the masses. They further said that the marvelous developments that happened in Tibet are the best momentsof history. They further said that it’s important to encourage cadres and masses to learn Tibetan and promote Tibetan culture as much as possible. Penpa Tashi, Pema Yangchen, Jampa Tashi, Tan Hai Yu, Yaochi and other representatives said in the interview that they take full responsibility to achieve the mission of the 19th Congress as arranged by the General Assembly. They also said that it is important to promote the region’s party members and cadres to the comrades as the core of the party. Tibetan Representative for 19th Party Congress were more structured 15 October 2017 It is reported that, out of 35600 members, 30 representatives were elected from Tibet to attend the Party’s 19th National Congress. Out of 30 representatives, 29 were from the autonomous region and only one from outside the autonomous region. It is said that two members were increased for the 19th Party Congress. Tibet's attendance at the election of the 19th Congress of the Party began in November 2016, and elected by the leaders of the Ninth Congress of the People's Republic of China. The selection was done in accordance with the overall requirements of the Central Committee and the representative conditions stipulated by the Central Committee. Among the 30 delegates representing Tibet, 19 were party members and cadres (63.33%), 11 have Page 5 of 16 been worked for production (36. 67%). Out of these 11 people, 8 were female, (26.67%). 1 from Hui, 1 from Mena and 1 from Lhoba. According to member of the Regional Party Committee Organization Department Lu Yefui, the structure of Tibetan representatives for the 19th National Congress were far more organized and better selected compared to the 18th Party Congress.