Tibet is remade by hand of Chinese government

In a massive campaign that recalls the socialist engineering of an earlier era, the Chinese government has relocated 250,000 Tibetans - nearly one-tenth the population - from scattered rural hamlets to new "socialist villages," ordering them to build housing largely at their own expense and without their consent.

The government calls the more than year-old project the "comfortable housing program." Its stated aim is to present a more modern face for this ancient region controlled by China since 1950. The new housing is on main roads - sometimes a mile from previous homes - and will enable small farmers and herders to have access to schools and jobs, as well as health care and hygiene, the government says.

But the broader aim seems to be remaking Tibet - a region with its own culture, language and religious traditions - in order to have firmer political control over its population. It comes as China prepares for an influx of millions of tourists in the run-up to next year's Summer Olympic Games.

A vital element in the strategy is replacement of the revered Dalai Lama, now 71, with a state-appointed successor when he dies. The Dalai Lama won a Nobel Peace Prize for advocating resistance to the communist government.

China Arrests Pro-Tibet Protesters

Associated Press

Fri Aug 3

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