Op-Ed Contributors

Come and see the real Tibet

By Yi Duo (China Daily)
Updated: 2011-03-28 08:01

The average life expectancy in Tibet today is 67 years, 31 years more than it was in 1959. And Tibet's population has increased to more than 2.9 million, a 140 percent increase over the 1959 figure of 1.228 million.

In the spring of 1959, Tibetan people took over the reins of a new socialist region after overthrowing the feudal lords, and started enjoying all the rights enjoined in the country's Constitution. Today, they are no longer subjected to political and religious persecution, and are free of slavery and serfdom. Nor are they subjected to corporal punishment, heavy taxes and exploitation.

These are the reasons that make the "Serfs Emancipation Day" so important for Tibetans and other ethnic groups in the region. People in Tibet have ushered in a new society, and treasure their hard-won political, economic and social progress, and are now eager to build a socialist Tibet.

But after the violence in Lhasa on March 14, 2008, some Western media outlets splashed fabricated reports, with a few of them even doctoring photographs to substantiate their falsity. The facts have ultimately nailed their lies, and it's time they stopped giving credence to rumors and publicizing distorted reports on Tibet.

For years, some Western media outlets have been publishing and broadcasting fabricated reports and spreading disinformation on the pretext of freedom of the press.

If they really value the well-being of the people in Tibet, they should learn to respect Tibetans' choices and look at the achievements of new Tibet, instead of trying to glorify feudal Tibet as heaven.

It is universally acknowledged that Tibet has progressed as part of the Chinese nation and all ethnic groups in the region are living a happy life. History proves that unity and stability bring prosperity and happiness, and separation and turbulence are the source of disaster.

The author is a media commentator based in Tibet.

(China Daily 03/28/2011 page9)