Tibet's progress has been realized by the continuous overcoming of difficulties and challenges and the region's efforts to adapt to the country's political, economic and cultural development.

Tibet could not have made such great achievements without the correct policies and strategies of the CPC, the hard work of the Tibetan people and the strong support of the whole country. The availability and convenience of modern traffic and communications have also played a significant role in promoting Tibet's development.

Tremendous changes have taken place in Tibet over the past 60 years. It has traveled from a state of self-seclusion to opening-up, from tradition to modernization and from poverty to prosperity. Tibet has integrated into the bigger family of the Chinese nation and into modern society, and shares the fruits of country's modernization and human progress with all Chinese people.

Tibet is the first place in China where compulsory education was made free, the first place where all rural residents got free medical care and the first place where urban and rural residents were both given a subsistence allowance.

Tibet has seen a jump in comprehensive strength and people's quality of life over the past six decades. The attractiveness, influence and competitiveness of Tibet have improved significantly. Tibet's development is a unique contribution to national unity, social stability, border security, cultural prosperity and ecological improvement.

The changes in the region over the past six decades proves that only under the leadership of the CPC, only by adhering to the socialist road with Chinese characteristics and only by following the system of regional ethnic autonomy can Tibet enjoy prosperity and progress, which are in line with the fundamental interests of the Tibetan people.

But the Dalai Lama group and some Westerners see Tibet's peaceful liberation and development through tinted glasses. They either ignore the unprecedented development that Tibet has experienced or think Tibet's development threatens traditional Tibetan culture. Their logic seems to be to treat Tibet like a museum piece - it should not undergo any change if its culture is to be preserved.

They do not acknowledge that the development and progress of human society cannot be kept back. Tibet and the Tibetan people should also share the fruits of the development of human society, technological progress and modernization. These are the unalienable rights that all humans are endowed with.

The West's development process itself proves that modernization is not mutually incompatible with traditional culture and national features. By giving outdated traditions a decent burial and discarding the dross of traditional culture, modernization can promote the development of traditional culture, as well as people's material and spiritual life.

The Fifth National Conference on Work in Tibet confirmed the development strategy, path and goal of Tibet's future, namely ensuring rapid economic and social progress, cultural prosperity, improved lives and livelihoods, ethnic unity and environmental protection and improvement. A more united, democratic, prosperous, civilized, socialist and harmonious Tibet is bound to move ahead with the nation's modernization drive.

The author is a research scholar with the China Tibetology Research Center in Beijing.

 

(China Daily 05/23/2011 page9)