From my one visit to Lhasa two years ago, I came away thinking Chinese Tibet is a sad place. It was a feudal society with massive corruption in the monastic system, he says. We took a walk around the Barkhor bazaar and he pointed to scruffy Tibetan women with matted braids who begged on the street. I don't like to see Tibetans begging. Many in the community have reached a level of acceptance regarding their status as exiles.
Much energy is put into education and health.
Unlike Tibet proper where the masses feel powerless and resentful of China's occupation, in the Other Tibet, a community works to better itself. I am not a supporter of China's Tibet policies. I particularly dislike the millions wasted on showpiece facilities used as proof that China fosters and protects Tibetan traditions. I also oppose the politics of Free Tibet. Its work seems to condemn Chinese Tibet to stay stuck in poverty and in a past built on fantasy.