The recruitment and training of ethnic minority cadres in Tibet

Abstract

For more than four decades, cadres recruited from among ethnic minorities themselves have played an important role in Beijing`s control of minority nationalities, and for historical and geographical reasons, this was especially the case in Tibet. Since the beginning of the economic reforms, the demand for manpower has resulted in a rapid increase in the number of ethnic minority cadres, and the quality of the minority cadre contingent has improved. Now the ratio of Tibetan to Han cadres is reported to be seven to three, and the numbers of Tibetan technicians and women cadres have continued to increase. However, the disturbances in Tibet in recent years have prompted Beijing to put more emphasis on maintaining stability in the region. The central authorities have therefore decided once again to transfer Han Chinese leading cadres into Tibet. This new measure, which seems to go against Belling`s policy of granting autonomy to national minorities, will limit the increase in the numbers of ethnic minority cadres in the region.