China issued Sunday a white paper on the "regional ethnic autonomy" policy as well as the substantial benefits this policy has brought to Tibet, an autonomous region founded in 1965.

"Tibet's great achievements during the past 40 years or so have roved the correctness and inevitability of regional ethnic autonomy," Bi Hua, a Tibetan studies expert with the China Tibetology Research Center, told Xinhua.

Before the Democratic Reform in 1959, Tibet remained a society of serfdom under theocracy. The serf owners, though accounting for less than 5 percent of the total population, controlled the personal freedom of the serfs and slaves who made up more than 95 percent of the population, as well as most of the means of production.

"Under this system, the broad masses of serfs and slaves could by no means enjoy any political rights," said Bi.

Bi said the institution of regional ethnic autonomy has brought about the greatest social reform in Tibet's history. The Tibetans, who used to be serfs and slaves, have become the masters of their own affairs and enjoyed the political rights since then.

Statistics from the white paper show, in 2002, 93.09 percent of electors in the autonomous region directly participated in the elections at the county level.

Tibetans and people of other minority ethnic groups account for more than 80 percent of deputies to people's congresses at both the regional and city (prefecture) levels, and more than 90 percent of those at both county and township (town) levels.

Tibet used to be the most backward area in China, but in the past 10 years and more its GDP growth has been one of the fastest in the country.

"The rapid economic growth is due to the strong support from the central government,", said Xu Shaoqiang, with the China Tibetology Research Center.

In the past 40 years or so, Tibet's financial expenditure amounted to 87.586 billion yuan (10.55 billion US dollars), with 94.9 percent of the funding allocated by the central government.

Tibet enjoys a preferential taxation policy, with its tax rates three percentage points lower than other parts of China, and Tibetan farmers and herdsmen are exempt from taxes and administrative charges.

"Regional ethnic autonomy has proved to be the fundamental guarantee for Tibetan people as masters of their own affairs," said Xu. "It will not be replaced."

"In preaching 'one country, two systems' with a high degree of autonomy for Tibet, the Dalai Lama is in essence attempting to separate Tibet from China," said Bi. "Having been true masters of their own affairs for a long time, Tibetan people will by no means accept that."

"As people's livelihood is concerned, Tibetan people began their progress with the institution of regional ethnic autonomy," said another Tibetan studies expert, Hao Shiyuan, who is the director of the Institute of Nationalities under the China Academyof Social Sciences.

Hao said before Tibet's peaceful liberation, cultural activities were the privileges of serf owners, and secular culture of common people had little room for development.

"To institute regional ethnic autonomy guarantees the ordinary Tibetan people's rights to inherit and develop their own culture," said Hao.

In recent years, more than 100 titles of books have been published in Tibetan every year. The Tibetan language has become the first ethnic-minority language in China to have international standardization.

Traditional Tibetan medicine and Tibetan architecture have been protected.

"The regional ethnic autonomy policy also well protects the religious freedom of Tibetan people," said Hao.

The system of reincarnation of great lamas is unique to Tibetan Buddhism. Since Tibet's Democratic Reform, altogether 30 Living Buddhas have been approved by the state and the government of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

At present, there are over 1,700 venues for Tibetan Buddhism, with some 46,000 resident monks and nuns.

Hao said, fifty years ago, on May 23, 1951, the "Agreement of the Central People's Government and the Local Government of Tibet on Measures for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet" ("17-Article Agreement" for short) was signed, and Tibet was peacefully liberated, freeing it from imperialist control.

Then through the democratic reform, Tibetan people overthrew the feudal serfdom under theocracy, established the Tibet Autonomous Region and gradually enhanced the socialist system, said Hao.

"Tibetan people's rights have seen continuous development since then," said Hao. "There is no possibility for another social system."

Source: Xinhua