“It is clear to all the Tibetans that there has been a huge increase in the number of Chinese, especially after the completion of railway. In the early years, during the winter there it was common for the number of Chinese in Tibet to be reduced, but the winter of 2006, it was the opposite. The number of Chinese actually increased.”

- Lhasa native now living in exile

Before the Chinese occupation of Tibet in 1950 only a few Chinese lived in what now constitutes the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR), and only a small amount lived in Tibet’s eastern regions. This has now changed completely, with Chinese migrants outnumbering Tibetans in certain areas. The exact amount of Chinese presence is Tibet is unknown as there is no credible data available. The fact that lot of the Chinese migrants reside in Tibet only temporarily and without a legal registration makes it hard to estimate their real numbers.

The immigration of Han Chinese into Tibet falls into two categories: involuntary and economic. Most of the Chinese who have been sent to Tibet by the government are officials and technical experts. The economic migrants are predominantly the retail and service traders, construction workers and miners.

Economic migration into Tibet results from a combination of massive economic reforms in China - which have created a large floating population of surplus labour - and economic incentives and opportunities in Tibet such as higher wages, tax incentives, allowances and better housing. 

The increased exploitation of Tibet's rich mineral resources made possible after the opening of the railway is also accelerating worker migration, both authorised and unauthorised.

There is no doubt that the rapid development taking place in Tibet is benefiting the migrant population far more than Tibetans, who are sidelined in the work place. Chinese migrants are in favour of job opportunities, and most road constructions or mining jobs go to the Chinese resulting in high unemployment rates among Tibetans.

Most restaurant and shops are Chinese-owned now, and even jobs held traditionally by Tibetans such as the antique business are now increasingly in Chinese hands. The ever increasing influx of Chinese also threatens the survival of Tibetan language and culture. Currently there are 200,000 Chinese and 100,000 Tibetans living in Lhasa, Tibet’s capital. Tourists expecting a mysterious and unique town are shocked to find a Chinese-looking city with karaoke bars and Chinese-style buildings.

The Han influx could result in Tibetans becoming a minority in their own land and is seen by Tibetans as the greatest threat to the survival of Tibetan culture and identity. The Dalai Lama says this policy of ‘demographic aggression’ has led to ‘cultural genocide’ in Tibet. The population of Lhasa, Tibet’s capital, has grown six fold since the Chinese occupation and currently two thirds of its citizens are Chinese. The new railway line facilities an ever growing number of tourists as well as Chinese settlers into Tibet. China encourages Han settlement by offering various favourable conditions for migrants such as tax incentives. As more and more Han Chinese migrate to Tibet the imbalance will continue to exist and be exacerbated. The Chinese authorities have imposed their one-child policy on all Tibetan government workers. For city-dwelling Tibetans who do not hold government jobs, there is a strict limit of two children. (Nomads are currently allowed to have three children.)