China and Tibet
has termed the ‘perfect dictatorship’. 32 The government’s control already is so complete, their surveillance of online communications so thorough, the closed-circuit cameras so advanced, that they maintain order almost seamlessly. China now has 626 million closed-circuit cameras installed and advances in facial recognition technology allow security to services to identify those who participate in protests. When looking at the quality of life, happiness and political freedom are essential. The control of Tibet has incontestably resulted in the degradation of cultural identity and civil liberties which has led to widespread discontent and thus, in many aspects, a decrease in the quality of life. To conclude, life for Tibetans has not embarked on a journey from ‘darkness to brightness’. A distinct way of life which once stood out in an increasingly homogenous world has had a uniformity stamped on it by the imperative of Chinese development. It is evident that the standard of living for many Tibetans has increased, especially in relation to education and health. Chinese economic policy in Tibet has led to rapid growth which has increased the average incomes for people living in Tibet. However, due to inward migration of Han Chinese, the extent to which Tibetans have significantly benefited from this is debatable. The increase in disposable incomes may not be fully representative for Tibetans due to advantages Han firms and workers enjoy in the local economy. Although there is no data comparing the income rises between ethnicities, and even if the income rises are not as significant as some claim, most Tibetans will have experienced an increase in earnings. However, happiness and civil liberties are an essential aspect of quality of life and transcend traditional indicators. Chinese control has stripped Tibetans of their cultural identity and freedom; Tibetans may not be corralled in internment camps, but they live under a relentless assault of Chinese propaganda. Paradoxically, their lives are under heavy surveillance by the Chinese government, yet largely in visible to the greater world. In Barbara Demick’s book ‘ Eat the Buddha’ , she writes: ‘ One Chinese man who just came back from Tibet told me that outwardly there was lots of development, new roads, new buildings. The economic conditions were quite good. However, he told me that the Tibetans are not at all happy internally. When he told me that, and he was sitting where you are sitting now, he had tears in his eyes .’ 33 The veneer of socioeconomic development in Tibet conceals a dark underbelly of oppression and widespread indignance.
Bibliography
A Chronology of Tibet’s History. WGBH Educational Foundation. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/tibet/etc/cron.html. [ Consulted 09/08/21 ]. Carrico, K. (2015). Tibetan Buddhist Self-Immolation. https://www.oxfordhandbooks.com/view/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199935420.001.0001/oxfordhb- 9780199935420-e-22. [ Consulted 16/05/2021 ]. CBS News. (2008). Dozens Reported Killed In Tibetan Protests. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/dozens-reported- killed-in-tibetan-protests/. [ Consulted 16/05/2021 ]. Demick, B. (2020). Eat the Buddha: Life, Death, and Resistance in a Tibetan Town. London. Dreyer, J.F. (2010). Economic Development in Tibet under the People’s Republic of China. https://case.edu/affil/tibet/moreTibetInfo/documents/EconomicDevelopment.pdf. [ Consulted 10/08/2021 ]. Fast Track to the Throne . (2021). The Economist. China will soon open a new stretch of rail across Tibet.
32 Demick 2020: 270. 33 Demick 2020: 259.
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