CHINA'S TIBET EXPERIMENT
For the Chinese who came west to the highlands of Tibet seeking their fortune, the antigovernment riots that swept through Lhasa two weeks ago were a rude, unexpected reminder that their presence isn't welcome by many Tibetans. Longtime residents resent the wave of non-Tibetan migrants who are changing their culture and competing for jobs.
For such Chinese willing to move to Tibet, China promised subsidies, tax exemptions, education credits and preferential consideration for government jobs. As Shai Oster reports, there is debate about how many Han Chinese took up Beijing's offers. Official Chinese figures show that at least 94% of the province's 2.81 million people are indigenous Tibetans, rather than ethnic Han, who dominate China's population. But the situation on the ground in Lhasa appears very different: the population of ethnic Han in the city appears to be growing quickly -- and by some estimates now tops indigenous Tibetans.
Outside experts say there is no doubt China's government has made enormous strides to address Tibet's poverty. Signs of the new economy are everywhere, but indigenous Tibetans sometimes have a hard time taking advantage of all the growth. With a 46% illiteracy rate for those aged over 15 years in Tibet -- the highest in China -- many Tibetans are poorly placed to find jobs. On the Web site Lhasa Talents on Thursday, none of the job postings requested knowledge of Tibetan language, although several required Mandarin skills. Now the government is providing train tickets to those migrants who want to go back to their hometowns, perhaps for good.
Read Shai Oster's compelling report from Lhasa on the migrants to Tibet:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120692123518075547.html?mod=djemasialinks
Read the latest on the conflict from Loretta Chao in Beijing and James T. Areddy in Shanghai:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120687117840674921.html?mod=djemasialinks
