| 66. Q: Is there any restriction on the study and use of the Tibetan language in Tibet? | |
A: The Chinese Constitution stipulates that each ethnic group has the freedom to use and develop its own language. The Law on the Regional Ethnic Autonomy of the People's Republic of China also stipulates that in performing their duties the organs of self-government of an ethnic autonomous area shall employ one or more of the spoken and written languages in common use in the locality.
Tibetan is the spoken and written language generally used in Tibet Autonomous Region. In July 1987, the Regional People's Congress adopted its Regulations of Tibet Autonomous Region on the Study, Use and Development of the Tibetan language (Trial Implementation), which states clearly that Tibet shall use both the Tibetan and Chinese languages, with Tibetan as the main communication medium. All resolutions, laws, decrees, and government documents and notices are currently issued in both the Tibetan and Chinese languages. Local TV and radio stations and newspapers also use both languages. Of all the books published in the region, 70 percent are in Tibetan. A major principle of local employment and school enrolment is to provide equal opportunities for users of different languages, while giving priority to Tibetan language users. Mass meetings and conventions are conducted in Tibetan, and road and street signs, and notices in public places are in both Tibetan and Chinese. The Tibetan language is a major item on the curriculum of schools at all levels in Tibet. It is also an ethnic minority language used on important occasions, such as the National People's Congress, and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. The Central People's Broadcasting Station has a Tibetan program.
The Tibetan Codes and Characters for Information Technology, formulated by Tibet, has been adopted by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), opening the wary for the Tibetan language to enter modern information and media fields. In 1995, Tibet established the Committee for Standardization of Terms in the Tibetan Language, whose work was the standardization of the Tibetan language and its usage, providing a guarantee for the use and development of the Tibetan language. |
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