The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, also known as the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, has made a statement on mining in Tibet on Sept 22-23, 2009, at a London roundtable discussion on Shethongmon mining project. Shethongmon is situated near the city of Shigatse in southern Tibet. The roundtable meeting was organized by TibetInfoNet, which is also a consultant for the Canadian company, Continental Minerals, which is investing in the project.
The CTA statement is clearly against any mining project in Tibet but it does not condemn or express the seriousness of these investments. Despite having its pleas and moral suasions repeatedly ignored by Canadian mining companies, the exile Tibetan leadership continues to engage in these discussions. For the purposes of this blog, I think it is better to highlight the injustice and crime that these mining projects perpetuate than to write about about these exchanges.
The CTA statement cites three major protests in Tibet in 2009 against mining projects (Bathang county in March, Ser Ngul Lo in Markham county in May, and Meldo Gungkar county in June). It does not mention that a protest actually also took place against the Shethongmon mining project on 19th June 2006. Soon after the protest, disciplinary officials of the Party started "education campaigns" about the benefits of the project among the farmers.
Local protests against mining in Tibet are not new. Farmers in Meldo Gungkar have been protesting against mining at least since 1991 (see chapter 6 of CTA's report, Tibet: Environment and Development Issues 2000). Even as recent as two months ago, there were reports of clashes between local Tibetans and Chinese miners at the Gyama mine site. And two weeks ago, this intensely disputed mine was bought by another Vancouver based company named Jinshan.
As usual, here's a question for you readers: How is Canada attracting such deals in Chinese controlled Tibet? Canada is the only Western country with significant investments in Tibet. Any informed person would tell you that such deals must include heavy corruption and deep connections with the Party.
I am not saying that all Tibetans are against mining. Apart from Tibetans profiting from Chinese rule, there are also some progressive and business minded Tibetans in exile as well. The issue is not mining. It is about how decisions are made, who gets the benefits and who the losers are.
Affected local Tibetans will probably be given some compensation in the case of Shethongmon mine, but the bulk of the profits go to the company and the Chinese government. About 200 to 300 million US dollars would be paid by the company from their net profit to the government as Corporation Tax (at 35 %), which is the international norm. The company's conservative estimate of the expected return rate is 2.5 times their capital investment. Issues of environmental pollution, jobs and training of workers, etc. are important and a Canadian company may do a better job on these issues than a Chinese company. However, these issues are only secondary to larger and more fundamental issues of politics and moral principles.
Despite their best efforts to ensure fair and lawful business, foreign companies mining in Tibet are engaging in a kind of legalized robbery. Stealing can be lawful when lawmakers are colonial masters. The application of principles of corporate social responsibility ought to first look at more fundamental questions such as "Who are the legitimate owners of Tibet's gold and other mineral resources?" "What are the rights of an indigenous people (or nation) to their land?" These are not academic or philosophical questions. Canadians need not look far but into their own constitution (Section 35 of the 1982 Constitution Act) for general guidance.
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For background information on Shethongmon project, visit Continental Minerals' website. TibetInfoNet has published some reports on the project which can be read here and here. There is a campaign against these projects lead by Students for a Free Tibet and Canada Tibet Committee. Visit their website.
The CTA statement is clearly against any mining project in Tibet but it does not condemn or express the seriousness of these investments. Despite having its pleas and moral suasions repeatedly ignored by Canadian mining companies, the exile Tibetan leadership continues to engage in these discussions. For the purposes of this blog, I think it is better to highlight the injustice and crime that these mining projects perpetuate than to write about about these exchanges.
The CTA statement cites three major protests in Tibet in 2009 against mining projects (Bathang county in March, Ser Ngul Lo in Markham county in May, and Meldo Gungkar county in June). It does not mention that a protest actually also took place against the Shethongmon mining project on 19th June 2006. Soon after the protest, disciplinary officials of the Party started "education campaigns" about the benefits of the project among the farmers.
Local protests against mining in Tibet are not new. Farmers in Meldo Gungkar have been protesting against mining at least since 1991 (see chapter 6 of CTA's report, Tibet: Environment and Development Issues 2000). Even as recent as two months ago, there were reports of clashes between local Tibetans and Chinese miners at the Gyama mine site. And two weeks ago, this intensely disputed mine was bought by another Vancouver based company named Jinshan.
As usual, here's a question for you readers: How is Canada attracting such deals in Chinese controlled Tibet? Canada is the only Western country with significant investments in Tibet. Any informed person would tell you that such deals must include heavy corruption and deep connections with the Party.
I am not saying that all Tibetans are against mining. Apart from Tibetans profiting from Chinese rule, there are also some progressive and business minded Tibetans in exile as well. The issue is not mining. It is about how decisions are made, who gets the benefits and who the losers are.
Affected local Tibetans will probably be given some compensation in the case of Shethongmon mine, but the bulk of the profits go to the company and the Chinese government. About 200 to 300 million US dollars would be paid by the company from their net profit to the government as Corporation Tax (at 35 %), which is the international norm. The company's conservative estimate of the expected return rate is 2.5 times their capital investment. Issues of environmental pollution, jobs and training of workers, etc. are important and a Canadian company may do a better job on these issues than a Chinese company. However, these issues are only secondary to larger and more fundamental issues of politics and moral principles.
Despite their best efforts to ensure fair and lawful business, foreign companies mining in Tibet are engaging in a kind of legalized robbery. Stealing can be lawful when lawmakers are colonial masters. The application of principles of corporate social responsibility ought to first look at more fundamental questions such as "Who are the legitimate owners of Tibet's gold and other mineral resources?" "What are the rights of an indigenous people (or nation) to their land?" These are not academic or philosophical questions. Canadians need not look far but into their own constitution (Section 35 of the 1982 Constitution Act) for general guidance.
++++++++++++
For background information on Shethongmon project, visit Continental Minerals' website. TibetInfoNet has published some reports on the project which can be read here and here. There is a campaign against these projects lead by Students for a Free Tibet and Canada Tibet Committee. Visit their website.
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