Official Says Tibet Is Making Advances and Becomes Affluent 　　Legqog, chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Region, said yesterday that China in the past 40 years has developed a united, affluent and civilized Tibet. 　　Legqog told Party and government officials and military officers at a Lunar New Year celebration that there have been some startling changes since the democratic reforms in 1959 and the region's economy has experienced a double-digit growth annually in the past five years. It was also successful in its fight against snowstorms and floods in 1998, the year of the region's 11th consecutive harvest. 　　The Tibetan Lunar New Year will begin on February 15, one day ahead of the Spring Festival. Theatrical performances were staged yesterday at Lhasa Hotel with symbols of pigeons for peace and rabbits for the New Year as stage setting, amidst the songs of artists in singing praises of the country that has helped Tibetans become masters of their own. HomeNews 1999-02-14 Page2 Full Story in Chinese