The Question(s) of Tibet - World Affairs Council

TIBETAN YOUTH AT HOME AND IN EXILE
CSM: TIBET PROTESTS CHINESE BEING TAUGHT AS SOLE LANGUAGE IN REGIONAL
SCHOOLS (10/22/10)
http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Latest‐News‐Wires/2010/1022/Tibet‐protests‐Chinesebeing‐taught‐as‐sole‐language‐in‐regional‐schools
Tibet protests the Chinese government decision to teach only Chinese in regional schools.
Students fear that means the current bilingual system will be scrapped in favor of using
Mandarin Chinese alone, except in language classes. A report on Qinghai's plans for educational
reform over the next decade was even more explicit, saying "the nation's common language
must become the language of instruction." Use of the Tibetan language is tied to the region's
political struggles. Many Tibetans argue they have traditionally been self‐governing and that
Chinese policies are wrecking their unique Buddhist culture. But the issue is complicated
because while many Tibetans feel threatened by development and the migration of China's
ethnic Han majority, some also hope their children master Mandarin in order to obtain better
jobs. Beijing defends its policies, saying they spur economic growth in the largely poor areas,
but implementation has often been blunt and heedless of local opinion.
THE TIBET POST: TIBETAN YOUTH CONGRESS MARCHES AGAINST CHINESE LANGUAGE
REFORMS (11/4/10)
http://www.thetibetpost.com/en/news/exile/1227‐tibetan‐youth‐congress‐marches‐againstchinese‐language‐reforms
The protest was sparked by reported comments from the Chinese Communist Party's Qinghai
chief, Qiang Wei, calling for the use of "a common language" in schools and suggesting that the
introduction of Mandarin as the teaching language over the next decade.
FRONTLINE: DREAMS OF TIBET: INTERVIEWS JAMYANG
NORBU
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/tibet/intervie
ws/norbu.html
To make it that only Chinese language in any way will benefit
the Tibetans. So, that's why many Tibetans, who really have no
command of the Chinese or poor command of Chinese, really
have no substantial job. There's about 75 to 80 percent
unemployment among the youth of Tibet. People just hanging
out in the streets, drinking, playing pool.
Q: Tibetans don't seem to have the economic
opportunity that the Chinese do, especially young
people.
A: Essentially, there is so much unemployment in
Tibet, because the system is rigged against the
Tibetans. The people in power, at the top of the
pyramid, are Chinese. And, in China, I think anyone
who's traveled through China knows that the system
is one of "The Back Door." If you want to have
anything done, you need connections. There is no
way that you can do anything through a legitimate
kind of channel. And then all the best jobs are
reserved for the Chinese.
GUARDIAN: US EMBASSY CABLES: ‘WIDENING GENERATIONAL DIVIDE’ BETWEEN
TIBET’S LEADERS AND YOUTH (12/16/10)
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/us‐embassy‐cables‐documents/160094
A May visit to six Tibetan settlements across north and northeastern India underscores
concerns that frustrated and dissatisfied Tibetan youth and concurrent Indian separatist
movements could pose serious problems for the future viability of Tibetan settlements. A
widening generational divide finds Tibetan leaders unable to resolve growing dissatisfaction
among younger Tibetans, led by the influential Tibetan Youth Congress (TYC). Settlement
leaders in West Bengal reluctantly discussed intimidation and extortion of Tibetans by Indian
separatist movements, feebly dismissing the threats as "neighborly" interactions. Tibetan
participation in events organized by pro‐Gorkaland radicals—whether forced or not—could
jeopardize relations between the Tibetan community and their Indian hosts. The Central
World Affairs Council Teacher Resource Packet – The Question(s) of Tibet February 28, 2011
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