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West Needs to Know More About Tibet: Italian Scholars
Italian specialists on Tibet said Tuesday in Florence that exchanges and dialogue between Chinese scholars and specialists on Tibet and their European counterparts are much needed so as to help the West know a true Tibet.
At a symposium held at Florence University, Silvio Calzolani, a professor with the religion department, said it is necessary to heed what the people living in Tibet have to say about the reality there, although there are various kinds of reports about Tibet available in the West.
At the one-day workshop, about 200 Sinologists or Tibet specialists from across Italy and a visiting group of Tibet specialists from China exchanged views on issues including the protection of the cultural heritage, economic development and religion in Tibet.
In an interview with Xinhua after the symposium, Calzolani criticized certain Western politicians and media for turning a deaf ear to the true voice of the Tibetan people. He welcomed the visiting scholars from Tibet as those "who are best qualified to speak on the issue of Tibet."
Telling the audience about his experience in Tibet, Professor Giorgio Mantici, vice chairman of the Italy-China Friendship Association, said Tibet, like the rest of China, has witnessed rapid development and remarkable progress since the democratic reforms in Tibet in 1959, particularly since the reform and opening up in the whole country 22 years ago.
He strongly rejected the Dalai Lama's saying that Tibet sees nothing but poverty and backwardness and people living there enjoy no religious freedom." His (the Dalai Lama's) propaganda based on distorted facts is aimed at splitting China," Mantici pointed out.
"Seeing is believing," said Mantici, who encouraged more Italians to visit and see a "beautiful Tibet" for themselves.
Mantici said the study of Tibetan history should be done in the context of Chinese history. "Isolated study of Tibet is not helpful," he told Xinhua after the symposium.
He also called for more attention of Western scholars to today's Tibet. After all, today's Tibet has made great progress. Unfortunately, Westerners have failed to pay enough attention to that."
Kalsang Gyaltsen, leader of the visiting Tibetan group, briefed the attendants at the workshop on the significant achievements made in Tibet ever since the democratic reforms.
He said the Chinese government attaches great importance to economic development, social progress and education in Tibet, as well as the protection of Tibetan culture.
"In old Tibet, there was not a single modern school; only 2 percent of school-age children were in school and 95 percent of young and middle-aged people were illiterate.
"Today, Tibet has 4,365 schools at different levels. Some 83.4 percent of school-age children are in school. Illiteracy rate among young and middle-aged people has dropped to 42 percent," he said.
The Tibetan specialists' group arrived here on Sunday from Germany. They are scheduled to leave for Rome on Wednesday.
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