Destroying Tibetan identity

It is this devotion to religion and resulting ability to amass great wealth from voluntary contributions and command respect on a global scale that frightens the CCP most of all and is the reason behind the ongoing and more recent harsh crackdown on Catholic churches and priests throughout China.

China conveniently overlooks growing global support for the various Tibet freedom movements, Tibet's Government in Exile and especially His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

There are also the growing numbers of "refugees" and monks studying outside Tibet, developing the collective skills, personal political relationships and commercial and industrial contacts and support. Such support and confidence will become crucial for the successful and sustainable development of an environmentally fragile country such as Tibet.

Unlike China's unsustainable and environmentally destructive, materialistic approach, their religion, love and knowledge of their country will implement a more gradual and sympathetic development more in harmony with Tibet’s fragile environment and its neighbours.

The Insight on SBS "Going to China" forum focused on China's human rights abuse in occupied Tibet but failed to address the question as to how the enmity arose. This problem extends beyond the Tibetan historical regions and into other regions occupied by Han Chinese in recent times, including Inner Mongolia, Xinjiang and north east Burma.

To make way for the new Han Chinese frontiersmen, the indigenous populations are relocated away from their traditional lands onto lesser productive land and in smaller groups, isolated from one another to limit the possibility of an organised mass protest. There is no compensation, since the Chinese State now owns the land.

The nomadic herders are resettled into urbanised type settlements without land to farm or raise animals. They are now reliant on employment to provide money to buy food. The only employment for Tibetans who do not speak Chinese is menial, low paid and mostly casual.

Unlike the new migrants, there are no incentives for the Tibetans to develop their own land or businesses. As for the new housing, they are forced to buy these dwellings as well as providing their labour free for construction. It is known as the "Namdrang Rangdrik" ("Do-It-Yourself Program"). The cost is well above what the normal herder can earn at US$5,000 to US$6,000. The government lends US$1,200. The balance must be made up from family cash and Chinese bank loans. No money to repay the loan means no house and relocation to remote small subsistence communities.

Understanding the causes requires knowledge of the role of the Central Propaganda Department and the state media. When China occupies new territory and has established tight military control, the next stage is a well managed mass migration program motivated by government financial incentives, promises of land, additional support and military protection.

The objective is to rapidly dilute the indigenous population with Han Chinese. In the case of Tibet, these new frontiersmen and their families are told that the indigenous population are "A repressed, feudal, uneducated race, incapable of releasing the full potential of the land. We will improve their lifestyle and provide them with employment and education."

The ongoing theme is that the Tibetans cannot develop the rich resources of their land, have no concept of the value of money, donating much of their income to their religion and it is up to China to do this for them so that they can have a future as part of modern China. They will however provide a labour pool to help the Han Chinese in developing their new land and operations.

A review of State media over the years reveals an ongoing program of denigrating the Tibetans, their customs, history, culture and more recently the intense personal attack on H.H. the Dalai Lama. To the Catholic, Buddhist and Muslim, it is the equal to desecrating the name of the Pope, Buddha and Mohammed.