Ladies and Gentlemen,

Tibet has been an inalienable part of Chinese territory since the ancient times. At present there are six prefectures, one city and 73 counties under the jurisdiction of Tibet. The total population is 2,870,800, of which 95 percent are Tibetans or of other ethnic minorities. Since the 1950s, Tibet has made extraordinary historical advances. In short, it has achieved two great leaps.

The first leap: historic leaps have been made in the social system

When the human society entered the 1950s, Tibet remained a society of feudal serfdom under theocracy. The 14th Dalai Lama was the chief representative of the feudal serf owner class. Under such a system, the serf owners accounting for less than five percent of the total population owned almost all means of production, while the serfs and slaves making up over 95 percent of the total population had nothing at all, let alone the human rights. At that time, there was a saying circulating among the serfs, “All that I can take with me is my own shadow, and all that I leave behind is my own footprints.”

Tibet was peacefully liberated in 1951, two years after the founding of the People’s Republic of China. In 1959, the Central People’s Government, together with the people of all ethnic groups in Tibet, quelled an armed rebellion staged by the reactionary upper ruling clique of Tibet, implemented the Democratic Reform, and abolished the feudal serfdom. In 1965, the Tibet Autonomous Region was established. Since then Tibet has entered a new era, whereby the policy of regional ethnic autonomy is adopted under the system of socialism. The emancipated serfs and slaves in great numbers become the masters of not only Tibet, but also the whole nation, and are entitled to enjoy the rights on an equal footing to participate in the administration of state affairs and handle independently their own affairs in the region.

At present, of all the 34,000-odd deputies to the People’s Congress at all levels in the Tibet Autonomous Region, the proportion of deputies of Tibetan and other minority ethnic groups account for more than 94 percent. Of all the deputies to the National People’s Congress, there are 20 from the Tibet Autonomous Region, of which 12 are Tibetans, 1 of Menba ethnic group and 1 of Luoba ethnic group. To date, all chairpersons of the Standing Committee of the Regional People’s Congress and of the Regional People’s Government have been Tibetans. Of the functionaries of the state organs at the regional, prefectural (city) and county levels, Tibetans and citizens of other ethnic minorities make up 77.97 percent. Since 1965, the Standing Committee of the People’s Congress of the Tibet Autonomous Region has enacted more than 250 regulations, covering political, economic, cultural, social and other realms.

Peaceful liberation, the Democratic Reform and the establishment of Tibet Autonomous Region have laid the foundation for the system ensuring that people of all ethnic groups in Tibet enjoy the extensive human rights and that Tibet can achieve fast and sound development in economy and society. They represent not only the great leaps in Tibetan social system, but also the great progress of important significance in the history of human civilization development and the history of world human rights.

The second leap: leapfrog development has been achieved in economy and society

—Tibet has made great strides in economic development. With the support of the central government and of other provinces nationwide, Tibet has made remarkable progress in its economic and social development. The total output value has increased by 65 folds from 174 million yuan in 1959 to 39.591 billion yuan in 2008. The per-capita output value has increased from 142 yuan in 1959 to 13,861 yuan in 2008.

—People’s livelihood has improved significantly. The total population of Tibet has grown from 1.228 million before the peaceful liberation to the present 2.8708 million, with their average life- span increasing from 35.5 years to 67 years. In 2008, the per-capita net income of Tibetan farmers and herdsmen reached 3,176 yuan; the per-capita disposable income of urban and township residents reached 12,482 yuan; the per-capita floor space of rural residents reached 22.83 m2; and the per-capita floor space of urban and township residents reached 33 m2.

—All social undertakings have developed in an all-round way. The six-year compulsory education is made universal in all 73 counties of Tibet, and children in 70 counties have access to the nine-year compulsory education. The primary school attendance rate of school age children increased to 98.5 percent from less than 2 percent before the peaceful liberation. The illiteracy rate dropped from 95 percent to 2.4 percent. Radio and television programs can now reach 88.8 percent and 89.9 percent of the local population respectively. The fine traditional culture of Tibet is being protected and promoted in an unprecedented way, and people’s freedom of religious belief and ethnic customs and habits is being fully respected and protected.

—Remarkable achievements have been made in ecological construction and environmental protection. The central government and the government of Tibet Autonomous Region attach great importance to the environmental protection in Tibet. Forty five nature reserves of all types and at all levels have been built, covering a total area of 412，600 square kilometers, or 34.38 percent of the region’s total land area, the highest in China. At present, the ecology in Tibet basically maintains its pristine state, and Tibet remains a pure land of clear water and azure sky.

The past 50 years witnessed tremendous changes on the Tibetan Plateau. These are the years when great leaps have been made in Tibet in economic and social development and people of all ethnic groups have fully enjoyed the human rights and the achievements brought about by economic and social development.

Thanks!