BEIJING, Dec. 20 (UPI) -- Required rebuilding of houses in Tibet by China increases poverty not economic development, Human Rights Watch said Wednesday.
China's campaign launched last year requires Tibetan villagers to rebuild their houses according to strict specifications, the human rights organization said.
Even though the new housing was supposed to be jointly funded by the Chinese government and the families, the government provided about a third of the costs, leaving families to pay for the remainder, the organization said. Tibetans also alleged that local officials embezzled the centrally allocated funds and that the main beneficiaries of the program were moderately well-off, not poor residents.
Human Rights Watch said none of those interviewed reported having the right to challenge participation in the campaign. Tibetans said homes were razed by local authorities when people refuse to participate or couldn't participate because they didn't have the money.
"Forcing people to take out loans to build new houses that they don't want, that fail to accommodate their livelihoods, and that lack modern amenities hardly squares with China's purported goals for economic development or its stated commitment to autonomy for ethnic minorities," said Sophie Richardson, Human Rights Watch deputy Asia director.
