Congressional-Executive Commission on China Special Topic Paper: Tibet 2008-2009 October 22, 2009 This Commission topic paper adds to and further develops information and analysis provided in Section V—Tibet of the Commission’s 2009 Annual Report, and incorporates the information and analysis contained therein. Congressional-Executive Commission on China Senator Byron L. Dorgan, Chairman Representative Sander M. Levin, Cochairman 243 Ford House Office Building | Washington, DC 20515 | 202-226-3766 | 202-226-3804 (FAX) www.cecc.gov Congressional-Executive Commission on China Special Topic Paper: Tibet 2008-2009 Table of Contents Findings ........................................................................................................................................................................1 Introduction: Tibetans Persist With Protest, Government Strengthens Unpopular Policies ...............................3 Government Shifts Toward More Aggressive International Policy on Tibet Issue ...............................................5 Beijing Think Tank Finds Chinese Government Policy Principally Responsible for the “3.14 Incident” ...................................................8 Status of Negotiations Between the Chinese Government and the Dalai Lama or His Representatives............13 The China-Dalai Lama Dialogue Stalls ..............................................................................................................................................................14 The Eighth Round of Dialogue, Handing Over the Memorandum ..................................................................................................................14 Party Officials Attack the Dalai Lama, Press Preconditions............................................................................................................................15 Neither Chinese Officials Nor the Dalai Lama See Progress...........................................................................................................................16 A Detailed Tibetan Memorandum on “Genuine Autonomy” ..........................................................................................................................17 Principal Features of the Memorandum............................................................................................................................................................17 Memorandum Addresses, Has Potential To Resolve, Question of Tibetan Territory......................................................................................19 Map 1: Tibetan Autonomous Areas of China.......................................................................................................................................22 Map 2: Tibetan Autonomous Areas of China and Areas of the “Three Traditional Provinces of Tibet” That Are Outside of the Tibetan Autonomous Areas ..................................................................................................................................................................23 Table 1: Tibetan Autonomous Areas of China—Tibetan and Han Chinese Population in 2000........................................................24 Memorandum’s Vision of Autonomy and China’s Hierarchy of People’s Congresses and Governments.....................................................25 Tibetans in Exile Meet, Decide To Maintain Support for the Middle Way Approach .................................................................................28 Religious Freedom for Tibetan Buddhists: Tightening Control Over Tibetan Buddhism, Tibetan Buddhists 30 Strengthened Efforts To Separate Tibetan Buddhists From the Dalai Lama................................................................................................30 Government, Party, Buddhist Association Leaders Challenge Dalai Lama’s Suitability as a Religious Figure.............................................31 TAR Buddhist Association Uses Charter To Isolate Monks, Nuns From the Dalai Lama..............................................................................32 Government-Built Buddhist Academy Near Lhasa To Teach Politics Along With Religion .........................................................................32 Patriotic and Legal Education: Seeking To Reshape Tibetan Buddhism.......................................................................................................33 Intensive Period of Patriotic, Legal Education Aims for “New Order” in Tibetan Buddhism........................................................................34 Authorities Eject 1,200 Monks From Drepung, Sera; Detention, Education, Abuse Follow..........................................................................36 Official “Warns” Dalai Lama That Chinese Government Must Approve Next Dalai Lama.......................................................................38 China’s Panchen Lama: Only the Party Can Lead Tibetans to a Bright Future ..........................................................................................39 Tibetan Development Initiatives Reinforce Government Priorities: Focus on 2020 ...........................................41 Party Labels Dalai Lama, “Dalai Clique” as Principal Obstructions to Development.................................................................................41 Maintaining the Priority of Infrastructure Construction.................................................................................................................................42 Lhasa Redesign To Feature “Old” and “New” Downtowns by 2020 ..............................................................................................................42 Officials Acknowledge Tibetan Resentment Against the “Floating Population,” but Call for More, Better Migrant Services.....................43 TAR Statistics Show Little Increase in Non-Tibetan Population After Qinghai-Tibet Railway Startup............................................45 Railway Logistics Center Opens, Will Support TAR Rail Links With Surrounding Provinces .....................................................................46 Official Warns of Global Warming Threat to Qinghai-Tibet Railway ................................................................................................48 Work on Sichuan-Tibet Railway To Start, Impact May Far Surpass Qinghai-Tibet Railway ........................................................................49 Table 2: Population—Provincial and Municipal-Level Populations Linked Directly by the Qinghai-Tibet Railway or by the Planned Sichuan-Tibet Railway ...........................................................................................................................................................50 Table 3: Industry—Provincial-Level Economies Linked Directly by the Qinghai-Tibet Railway or by the Planned Sichuan-Tibet Railway .................................................................................................................................................................................................52 Hu Jintao Calls For More “Socialist New Villages” ........................................................................................................................................53 Confrontation Over Mining, Hydroelectric Projects; One Possible Successful Resolution ............................................................................54 For Tibetans, Another Year of Heightened Security, Repression, Isolation ........................................................56 i Congressional-Executive Commission on China Special Topic Paper: Tibet 2008-2009 Rising Tension and a Crackdown as Sensitive Dates Approached, Passed....................................................................................................57 February 25: Tibetans Express Grief Through Non-Observance of Lunar New Year ....................................................................................59 Losar Boycotts in 2009 in Areas Where Tibetans Protested in 2008...................................................................................................60 March 10: Security Forces Prevent New Tibetan Protests Marking Events in 1959, 2008.............................................................................62 March 28: Officials Pressure Tibetans To Celebrate New Holiday Marking the 1959 Dissolution of Dalai Lama’s Government...............64 Tibetan Protesters Persist During Period of Heightened Security ..................................................................................................................65 A “Farming Boycott Movement” Results in Threats, Detention, Beatings, Shooting.....................................................................................69 Political Detention and Imprisonment of Tibetans.................................................................................................71 2009 Overview .......................................................................................................................................................................................................71 Chart 1: Tibetan Political Detention by Year, 1987-2009 ...................................................................................................................72 Chart 2: Tibetan Political Detentions Recorded Per Month: September 2007 to August 2009 ..........................................................72 Protesters Persist, Adapt....................................................................................................................................................................................73