From: liqiang@kramden.nyu.edu (Li)
Subject: Re: Conference, Sino-Tibetan Relations: Prospects for the future
Organization: New York University
Date: Sat, 3 Oct 1992 17:18:09 GMT

richter@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca (C. Richter) writes:

>Oh, I almost forgot, I promised my friend liqiang@kramden.nyu.edu (Li)
>some further evidence of the exploitation of the 'Treasure House'
>(Xizang) by China.  I promised evidence that uranium has not only  
>been found and is being mined, but that it is causing severe health 
>problems for the Tibetan people.  Sorry for the delay.

It's a pity that Mr. Richter is dropping out of the debate. He will be  missed.

Again, all the evidence Mr. Richter has presented here is under the presumption
that Tibet has been singled out by the Chinese gvnmt to "exploit", to  
"destroy", etc. Netters should bear this in mind when reading thru this
last posting of his. 

> 
>Here is my original posting on this point of Chinese exploitation of 
>Tibet:
> 
>In article 1526 liqiang@kramden.nyu.edu (Li) writes:
>>The Chinese have been prospecting for "uranium, gold, timber, etc" in that
>>part of China but in vain for a while. Would you mind enlightening them on where
>>exactly in Tibet can one find these resources? Don't use your ignorance
>>as your "valid arguments".
> 
>Sorry to disappoint you: 
>  1. Gold strike in Amdo: a "beacon of hope for thousands of Chinese" 
>     while the grazing lands of Tibetan nomads have benn "ravaged in 
>     areas where the miners strike gold."  " In Qumarleb county some 
>     50,000 to 60,000 gold miners now far outnumber the 17,000 local 
>     people -- Tibetan herdsmen.  The miners have damaged more than 
>     86,000 acres of grazing land there."  (Daniel Southerland, "In 
>     Qinghai, the Wild West of China.  Battling Miners Scramble for 
>     Gold," _Washington Post, 15 December 1988.)
>  2. Timber in Kham: In the upper reaches of Minjiang, the forest cover has 
>     fallen from 30 percent in the early 1950s to 18.8 percent.  The 
>     result has been dramatically increased environmental degration 
>     from higher wind speeds, more severe droughts, decreased snow fall 
>     and a shorter frost-free season."  (Dong Zhiyong, "Present 
>     Situation of Forest Administration in Southwest region of China and 
>     Its Role in River Basin Management, _Watershed Management 
>     Proceedings_, ICIMOD, Kathmandu, October 1985, p.2.)
>  3. Uranium:  China has uranium developments underway.  I will post 
>     refs when I have a chance. 
> 
> 
>Now here is the additional information promised:
> 
>  3. Uranium in Amdo:  According to the _China Daily_ (May 28, 1990), 
>     the Chinese government announced that more than 200 uranium deposits
>     had been discovered in its southern and western regions.  Specific
>     locations were not given.  However, there was a report recently 
>     indicating that uranium is being mined in near a Tibetan village 
>     in Amdo, in the eastern part of the Tibetan plateau.  According
>     to the report 35 of 500 villagers have died in the past three 
>     years after developing characteristic fever and diarrhea, followed 
>     by death within 5 days.  Cattle also die in similar fashion, 
>     especially after rainstorms. "Animals who drink water coming from 
>     mining area or who inhale the dust die immediately, [and] they 
>     seem to have internal burns," said a Tibetan villager trained 
>     in Tibetan medicine.  ("Tibetans Dying From Uranium Mine Waste,"
>     _TIN News_, Sept. 11, 1992).
> 
> 
>Bye for now, folks....
> 

Once again, why do think I should be "disappointed" at the "alleged" (up
to now by you only) rich resources of Tibet? The fact that Tibet is
(or might be) rich in natural resources is just as encouraging as the
fact that Shanxi is rich in coal, etc. On the other hand, to be fair, 
the central gvnmt, up to this point, has failed to make Tibet a
money-maker for it and has kept investing in the area (on infrastructure,
communication, education, etc) without being able to recover what
they lost. 

As to the accidents you mentioned, of course they are bad; however, do you
think someone designed these accidents to wipe out the villagers or make them
sick? Oh, but you are not gonna heed our further discussion because you
said you are stuck somewhere else. It has been a pleasure.

>-- 
>Conrad Richter                     richter@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca
>Richters Herbs                     71550.3411@compuserve.com
>Goodwood, ON L0C 1AO Canada        Tel 416-640-6677 / Fax 416-640-6641


- Li, Qiang