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HRW: Compulsory reconstruction of houses increases poverty
20 December 20066
New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) criticized the Chinese government's
programme which forces Tibetans to reconstruct their homes as deepening poverty
rather than boosting economic development. The programme, known in Tibetan as
"Namdrang Rangdrik" ("Do-It-Yourself Programme") was launched in 2005 and
requires villagers to rebuild their houses in accordance with strict official
specifications within two to three years. Affected villagers are not able to
contest the decision or refuse to participate, even if complying causes them
economic hardship and places them in debt. Beginning in 2000, the Chinese
government launched a series of centrally mandated initiatives designed to
alleviate poverty in Tibet that stipulated that the poorest families in a given
village were to be relocated to new settlements of uniformly built houses along
main roads, and encouraged them to start businesses or seek employment. The new
houses were to be jointly funded by the government and the families in question.
But according to HRW, local officials have frequently embezzled the centrally
allocated funds, while ordinary villagers have been expected to contribute free
manual labour to build the houses. "In recent years we've seen a slow but steady
effort to separate rural Tibetans from their livelihoods in the name of economic
development", said Richardson. "But it has become increasingly difficult to see
how these campaigns have brought economic gains or equal participation for
Tibetans".
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