NEWS IN BRIEF

DalaiS Acusation Condemned

The Information Office of the State Council recently issued an article which says the rumors spread by the Dalai Clique that "the Chinese Government is abandoning the Tibetan language step by step" and "the Tibetan culture is being eliminated" are against the facts. The article says that in old society, 95 percent of Tibetan people were illiterate and only a small portion of the Tibetan population, mostly monks, serf owners and their children, could have the opportunity to learn and use Tibetan.

In New China, however, Tibetan peoples native language has been effectively protected by the Central Peoples Government and the peoples government of the Tibet Autonomous Region, since the peaceful liberation of Tibet in 1951, and, in particular, since the Democratic Reform was launched in 1959.Chinas Constitution and the Law on Ethnic Regional Autonomy stipulate that ethnic minority people have the freedom to use and develop their own spoken and written language. While Tibet adopts a dual-language teaching system using both Chinese and Tibetan languages, Tibetan has always been one of the main subjects in Tibetan schools of all kinds and all levels. Except a few urban schools which are mainly open for Chinese students of Han nationality, most local primary schools use Tibetan language as their teaching language. Currently, local junior middle schools are gradually turning to teaching subjects on natural sciences with Tibetan language. Tibetan language is also being used in Tibetan middle schools in inland areas. Both Tibetan and Chinese are used by all local government units for official documents and materials as well as official seals, certificates, forms, envelopes, papers, signs and signatures. Higher Peoples Court and Higher Peoples Procuratorate of Tibet are using both Tibetan and Chinese to handle legal documents. In recent years, the higher peoples court and the higher peoples procuratorate have published a series of books on laws and legal terminology in Tibetan language.

Tibets GDP reached 4.958B Yuan in the First Half of the Year

According to the General Office of the peoples government of the Tibet Autonomous Region, Tibets GDP reached 4.958 billion Yuan in the first half of the year, an increase of 8.9 percent over the same period of last year. Its industrial output value reached 616 million Yuan, an increase of 12.8 percent. Its added industrial output value reached 288 million Yuan, an increase of 11.3 percent. About 29,000 hectares of low- and medium-yield fields were transformed, 7,000 hectares of slope land treated, 1,000 hectares of abandoned farmland restored, 9,908 water works repaired, and 17,000 hectares of farmland devoted to growing fine crops. During this period, 6.24 million head of domestic animals were born, and 5.22 million of these survived.

About 163 million Yuan of postal service volume was completed, an increase of 59.5 percent over the same period of the previous year. About 185,000 Chinese and foreign tourists visited Tibet, an increase of 57 percent over the same period of the previous year. Income thus made added up to 90 million Yuan and US$14 million. State-owned enterprises were crowned with success in reform. Six shareholding companies gained ground in the second-class stock market, and 84 backbone enterprises won initial success in introducing the shareholding system. Of the 68 major projects due to be undertaken with investments from other parts of China, 61 started to be constructed with an investment of 657 million Yuan.

Growing More Vegetables in North Tibet

Amdo in Nagqu, tucked away in an area with an elevation of 5,000 meters, used to growing no vegetables at all in history. People there ate mainly meat. In June 1999, the county succeeded in growing vegetables. In this year, land devoted to growing vegetables expanded by some 10,000 square meters.

Movie King Gesar Being Shot in Lhasa

The series film is being shot as a gift to the 50th anniversary of the peaceful liberation of Tibet and when the Chinese Government is applying to the UNESCO to hold the International King Gesar Year. The series film comes of 30 parts totalling 900 minutes. It tells the birth and evolution of the long epic King Gesar, including worship on totems, divination, sacrificial ceremonies, Tibetan medicine and unity between the Han and the Tibetan. It is due to be finished in March 2001.

Development of Tibetan Medicine

Governments and health institutions in Qinghai and Tibet have since 1985 worked out a dozen rules and regulations for rescuing, developing and standardizing Tibetan medicine. As a result, Tibetan medicine gained much ground in Tibet and the Tibetan-inhabited areas in Sichuan, Gansu and Yunnan. There is also a good beginning in the capital city of Beijing with the Beijing Tibetan Medicine Hospital offering treatment in Tibetan, traditional Chinese and Western medicines. This paves way for Tibetan medicine to develop further.

Rich Night Life in a Northern Tibet Town

Amdo used to be a major post station on the Qinghai-Tibet route. In 1999, a total of 17 million Yuan was used to build Asias largest solar energy power station. As a result, night life was enriched in the town, which has added with street lamps, a project undertaken with investment amounting to 970,000 Yuan from Shenyang in Liaoning Province. People in the town now watch TV, and a cable station was built to meet the local need.

24.9 Million Yuan Used to Renovate Power Stations

The power station was located in Sog County. The renovation project began in December 1999 and was completed at the end of June 2000. The renovated power station will have a generating capacity of 960 kw, which will help satisfy local need for electricity.

Protection of Wildlife in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Over the past five years, two State-class nature reserves, covering an area of 383,000 square km, were set up in Changtang in Tibet and Hoh Xil in Qinghai for the protection of wildlife. The one in Qinghai makes up over 50 percent of the total provincial area. The one in Changtang is home to over 130 species of wildlife.

Tibetan Language Work Meeting Held in Lhasa

During the meeting held on August 2, 17 units were cited for work they have done to promote the study and use of Tibetan language.

Cosmic Ray Observation Station in Yangbajain

Over the past decade, the observation station, with 527 observing apparatuses it installed in 1989 together with the Cosmic Ray Research Institute of the Tokyo University in Japan, has gathered many valuable data. Located 90 km from Lhasa and with an elevation of 4,200 meters, the observation station is held as one of the best in the world.

Tibet Academy of Social Sciences Boasts More Tibetan Classics Than Any Others

The Tibet Academy of Social Sciences is composed of six research institutes and one publishing house. It boasts a collection of 60,000 volumes of Tibetan classics and 15,000 historical archives. Over the years, it works hard to rescue Tibetan classics and has published some 40 kinds of such works including Snowland Library.

Largest Hydraulic Power Station in Ngari

Construction of the power station, located by the Xianquanhe River, began recently with an investment of 33 million Yuan.It has a designed generating capacity of 800 kw and is expected to generate 5.66 million kwh a year. It is due to be completed in two years but the first 400-kw generating set is expected to go into operation within the year.