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Wednesday, March 27, 2019, 16:03
'Son of Tibet' revels in plateau's bright future
By Qiang Lijing / Dronla
Wednesday, March 27, 2019, 16:03 By Qiang Lijing / Dronla

Thubten Khedrup (left) inspects a training program that teaches women sewing skills in Nepal in Dec, 2018. (PHOTO / CHINA DAILY)

As a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the nation's top political advisory body, Thubten Khedrup has presented nearly 200 proposals at both the regional and national level.

He was elected as a regional political adviser from the Tibet autonomous region in 1998.

Talking about his many proposals, the 55-year-old Tibetan was proud to mention the selection of the Tibetan antelope as one of the five mascots of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games.

"I first presented the proposal in 2003 and submitted it again in 2004. Finally, I made it," he said. "To come up with the 1,000-word proposal, I consulted a dozen conservators and experts on the Tibetan antelope-a barometer of the environmental health of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau."

The adoption of the proposal not only made the rare species more widely known to the world, but also drew global attention to Tibet and the effect of global warming in the region.

Doctoral programs

Ten years after he submitted a proposal to launch a doctoral degree program in the region, three programs-offering doctorates focused on the regional economy, Tibet's environment and the Tibetan language-were opened at Tibet University in Lhasa, the regional capital, in 2013.

Three programs-offering doctorates focused on the regional economy, Tibet's environment and the Tibetan language-were opened at Tibet University in Lhasa, the regional capital, in 2013

His proposals did not come from wild thinking in the office, but were based on the stories he heard from ordinary Tibetans and a large amount of data collected by his field research team.

To obtain the latest data on living conditions in Tibet, Thubten Khedrup has visited countless households, temples and monasteries in almost every county in the region.

He also submitted a proposal to the CPPCC calling for the greater promotion of Tibetan medicine. The proposal followed an auto accident in 2002 in which he almost lost his life.

After the accident, Thubten Khedrup was in a coma having sustained blood stasis, or blood stagnation, in his head. However, he miraculously regained consciousness after his mother gave him Tibetan medicine.

After five years' treatment with Tibetan medicine, he recovered and returned to work.

As a political adviser at the national level, he has observed the nation's development from the Tibetan perspective, and has come up with proposals that allow the region to learn from the experiences of other parts of China.

To write a proposal on how Tibet could woo tourists in the low winter season, Thubten Khedrup visited Hainan, China's southernmost province, and Harbin, the famous "ice city" in the northeast, to gain experience.

Proud boast

Earlier this month, Thubten Khedrup was one of the 2,000-plus political advisers who attended the second session of the 13th National Committee of the CPPCC.

Tibetan antelope, regarded as barometers of the environmental health of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, run along Siling Lake in Nagchu city, Tibet autonomous region. (PHOTO / VCG)

Members of the committee come from a range of backgrounds, including scientists, officials, entrepreneurs, artists and religious figures. They gather at the annual session to discuss major political, economic and social issues.

"Being a political adviser is not only an honor, it is also a responsibility," Thubten Khedrup said.

He is also proud of another identity-a son of Tibet. "I even use it as my name on social media," he said.

Born in a herdsman's family in Joda, a county in Chamdo city, Thubten Khedrup is grateful that as a professor at Tibet University he has lived up to his dream of becoming a teacher.

"I am the son of one of the 1 million serfs who were emancipated with the help of the Communist Party of China 60 years ago," he said. "Thanks to the CPC, I can be what I am today."

After graduating from Southwest Normal University in Chongqing in 1988, Thubten Khedrup had many opportunities to work in China's wealthy coastal provinces.

ALSO READ: Toll-free entry, cheaper hotels spur travel to Tibet

However, he was desperate to return to Tibet to work as a teacher, even as a primary school teacher in a remote town.

"We Tibetan people highly appreciate teachers, because teachers mean wisdom," he said.

In his 30-plus years at Tibet University, he has researched the problems facing the region and shared his findings with the government and his students.

Brought up in the plateau region, Thubten Khedrup developed a great interest as a college student in any Tibet-related topic.

"I am eager to know more about Tibet, and I hope conditions can improve," he said.

Thubten Khedrup, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, the nation's top political advisory body, stands in front of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, March 8, 2019. (PHOTO / CHINA DAILY)

"Identifying problems in Tibet's development and coming up with solutions is how I fulfill my obligations as a political adviser."

As an expert in the Tibetan economy and tourism sector, he has visited many places, both in China and overseas, since 2008.

Thubten Khedrup will never forget a trip to France in 2010 when a group of foreigners challenged him about the human rights situation in Tibet.

READ MORE: Tibet: China issues white paper on democratic reform, progress

I am the son of a serf in old Tibet. If today's Tibet was as bad as you describe, how could I sit here to have a meeting with you in France?

Thubten Khedrup, CPPCC member 

"I'm a teacher and I like to answer questions. I would like to teach you that human rights include the right to live and develop. Instead of preaching, I will give you an example: I am the son of a serf in old Tibet. If today's Tibet was as bad as you describe, how could I sit here to have a meeting with you in France?" he told them.

"Tibetan people should have the confidence to pursue their happiness, never mind what others say," he said.

Initially, he discovered that Tibetans living overseas had doubts about the situation in the region. Gradually, though, they have learned about the rapid development of Tibet from television and friends. Some even envy the people living in Tibet and regret living in exile.

Storyteller

Thubten Khedrup's objective as a political adviser is to tell Tibet's story to more people.

Anyone who intends to apply for a PhD or a postgraduate position supervised by Thubten Khedrup must meet his three requirements: know Tibet; thank Tibet; and serve Tibet.

"Serving Tibet does not mean they have to stay in Tibet forever. They can go anywhere after graduation. Wherever they go, they will tell stories of Tibet to help more people learn about Tibet," he said.

Tibetan people are living harmonious lives now. Public security in Lhasa is among the best in the world, according to Thubten Khedrup.

"In Lhasa, you don't have to carry your rucksack in front of your chest as people do in some other places," he said.

"People in Tibet respect doctors and teachers. You rarely see medical disputes here. Female taxi drivers dare to drive at midnight.

"As a Tibetan born in the early 1960s, my own story reflects Tibet's change and development over the past 60 years since the democratic reform in 1959."

Thubten Khedrup supervises nine PhD students from different ethnic groups.

Some of his previous students graduated from the postgraduate school of Tsinghua University, one of China's top schools, or prominent universities overseas, including the London School of Economics in the United Kingdom.

"To know Tibet well and tell Tibet's story well, I still have a long way to go," he said.

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