Geov Parrish's column ("Beijing-Tibet Relations on the Forefront") on April 11 is uninformed [and] disorganized and does a great disservice to understanding Tibet and China. First, Han Chinese (and Hui, the Chinese Muslims) are not the majority in Tibet: They comprise less than one-fifth of Tibet's population. Seventy-five percent of these immigrants return to China within two to three because their ventures fail. Tibetan is one of over 52 nationalities in China and the eighth largest. Tibet has more to gain from continuing as a region of China than it would on its own. The Dalai Lama echoed this in Seattle when he said that if separated, Tibet would be weak and poor, but joined with "thousands of millions of people" it would be "prosperous" and have "dignity. Much better." (Seattle Post-Intelligencer, April 14, 2008).Until 1959, Tibet was a feudal society: 60 percent were serfs (5 percent of these were slaves), 20 percent were herders, 15 percent were lamas and 5 percent were feudal nobility with absolute control of life and death over the serfs. The lamas lent money to serfs at 20 to 50 percent interest, and debt was hereditary.After the 1949 Chinese Revolution, the Chinese gave the Dalai Lama and the nobility nearly 10 years to make changes, but nothing was done. In 1959, not one hospital or school existed in the entire country since the lords had their own doctors and sent their children to school in India or England.Information is easily available on the Internet about Tibet before the revolution and afterward - including the amount of money given yearly to the Dalai Lama and separatist groups by the CIA since 1951.The current separatists are, as usual, among the privileged group of exiles and are recipients of U.S. funds. If Tibet were split off from China, the United States could hope to gain a military foothold on China's border. And, fundamentally, it's all about markets: China has emerged as the United States' greatest market rival.The slogans raised by the separatists as they burned Han and Hui stores and murdered the shopkeepers had nothing to do with the complaints of the majority of Tibetans - 75 percent of whom live in the countryside and want more subsidies, schools and assistance to learn urban skills. And as for prisoners, the United States now has the highest number of prisoners in the world (by size of population).Misinformation on China can become deadly if used as fodder by racists to attack Asians in general. Journalists owe readers a higher level of responsibility than Parrish's self-indulgent rambling.Tamara A. Turner Montlake[[In-content Ad]]
