All in a big, friendly family

For more than a month, some Westerners condemned China for "denying" human rights of Tibetans. They said Tibetans led a miserable life and they didn't have freedom of religion.

But many of these Western reporters and politicians have never been to Tibet nor have they talked to local people in Tibet. I don't know how they draw such conclusions.

Tibetans are members of the Chinese family. People in Tibet enjoy equal rights and prosperous life as people in other parts of China do.

My uncle and aunt had worked in Tibet for more than 15 years. During this period they lived and worked with local people there.

They lived in the same building. When my uncle had extra work, a young Tibetan colleague in my uncle's office often went to pick up my cousin in the kindergarten and took her to his own home. Their children went to the same school and grew up together. They have become genuine friends. Before my uncle left Tibet for Jiangxi province, one of his Tibetan colleagues sent him a pair of boots. A few years ago, his Tibetan colleague went to Jiangxi to visit my uncle. He told my uncle that one of his children went to university and the other worked in a tourism company.

Not many Westerners know that the Chinese central government's aid and other preferential policies for the ethnic minority groups in China.

After the reform and opening-up, the central government has appropriated a lot of money to develop the economy in Tibet and improve people's living standards. Now there are railways and highways that enable local people to get in touch with outside world.

There are universities where young Tibetans can study their own culture as well as science and technology.

I used to teach in a normal university in the center of China. In one of my classes, there were several Tibetan students from villages of Tibet. Their parents are farmers or herdsman.

In many universities in China there are special classes for Tibetans. Many Tibetans enjoy free medical care.

Tibetans who used to be slaves more than 50 years ago now lead a prosperous modern life. They are successful in many fields. Some of them are famous singers, rich businessmen, professors, doctors and leaders in local offices.

Tibetans believe in Tibetan Buddhism. They have their own customs.

Chinese culture is very tolerant and emphasizes harmony. It has accepted all religions such as Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity, Islam and so on.

I know a family in which the mother believes in Buddhism, the son is a Communist Party member, but the wife is a Christian.

Everyone in China can believe in his or her own religion without any interference.

In fact, we respect the religions and customs of minorities very much.

I was born in Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. My family had lived there till I was 12 years old. I remember that since I was young, I was taught to understand and respect them.

If these were not human rights, I cannot imagine what the so-called human rights mean for Western reporters and politicians. Perhaps they mean the "rights" they brought to Iraqis - war, destruction and death.

China's development may be the reason that causes panic in some Western countries.

Some Westerners are hostile to us because they are afraid that one day China will dominate the world. But if they undertake some research on Chinese history they will find that their worries are absolutely unreasonable and unnecessary.

They will find that aggression is not part of Chinese culture. For more than two thousand years, the Chinese have followed Confucianism, which teaches them to act moderately. We do not like to do anything extreme. To live peacefully without any interference is most Chinese people's idea of ideal life.

I have no doubt that China's overall development, that brings prosperity to Tibet, will also contribute to the world's peace and prosperity.

Liu Qizhi from Hubei province

Via e--mail

(China Daily 04/23/2008 page9)