Propped up by a steaming Chinese economy and heavy central government subsidies, the Tibetan economy is growing rapidly. However, experts on Tibetan issues say that the economic prosperity has not benefited most Tibetans. They also consider prisoner releases by Beijing a mere strategic move and not a substantial measure for improving human rights.

The Tibetan Economy is Unbalanced

In recent years, the Tibetan economy has enjoyed double-digit growth. Last year the economy grew by 12 percent, higher than that in the rest of China. Many places, especially big cities, have changed considerably. However, Tseten Wangchuk, a Tibetan scholar, pointed out that there is a fundamental difference between the economic prosperity in Tibet and that in the rest of China. The development in Tibet is highly unbalanced. In a symposium on Tibet held in Washington, D.C., he said, “If you look at the figures carefully, you will see that the growth is artificial, unreal, and buoyed by huge subsidies from Beijing.”

Wangchuk said that perennial financial subsidies from Beijing have not changed the economic structure of Tibet. The subsidies have been used mostly for urban development, hotel and restaurant building, and for maintaining a rich minority to legitimize the Chinese rule. The subsidies have never been used to help the long-term productivity increases. The beneficiaries of subsidies are mainly those who work for or provide services for the local governments.

He added, “The economic opportunities generated by the government attracted many Chinese to immigrate to Tibet and have led to serious consequences. The Tibetan plateau is now overpopulated and will face ecological crises. More importantly, the subsidies have widened the gap between the urban and rural areas. The Tibetan officials on average earn salaries that are 2.5 times of those in other Chinese areas. The income gap between rural and urban Tibet is the highest in China. More than 80 percent of Tibetans live in agricultural and livestock grazing areas, while 100 percent of Chinese in Tibet live in cities. The beneficiaries of the unbalanced economic development are mostly Chinese, not Tibetans.

Significant Role Played by Tibetan Elite

Wangchuk, who grew up in Lhasa and received his higher education in Beijing, mentioned a new phenomenon in Tibet. Young Tibetans who went to China to receive their education are not sinicized (the process of becoming Chinese) as expected but are fighting for Tibetan rights. They post Chinese articles on the Internet and hold open discussions about important issues concerning Tibetans such as economic development and the centrist policies of the Dalai Lama. He thinks that the emergence of these elites is significant for the future of Tibet.

Releasing Tibetan Prisoners Under International Pressure

Dr. Eliot Sperling, an Associate Professor of Tibetan Studies at Indiana University, Bloomington, pointed out that there have always been serious human rights violations in Tibet. He thinks that periodic Beijing measures to improve human rights conditions are aimed at deflecting international criticisms. Often people refer to sporadic releases of political prisoners by Beijing as progress. However, these measures are strategic but not substantial, because as soon as Beijing releases some people, the authorities arrest more people or take other repressive actions.

Dr. Sperling said that the sovereignty of Tibet remains an issue. Beijing often protests American concerns for Tibetan human rights. Although the United States pressures Beijing through bilateral talks and Congressional resolutions, we have lost economic sanctions as the most effective way to encourage Beijing to improve human rights records in Tibet after Congress abandoned linking trade and human rights.