From: richter@gpu.utcs.utoronto.ca (C. Richter)
Subject: Re: Conference, Sino-Tibetan Relations: Prospects for the future
Organization: UTCS Public Access
Date: Sat, 3 Oct 1992 16:03:02 GMT

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.
 
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....
 

-- 
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
Newsgroups: talk.politics.china