CCP publication calls Tibet policy a template for other ethnic minority regions

A reminder of how great life was for Tibetans under the feudal, theocratic serfdom of the lamas [1].

[1] “In old Tibet there were small numbers of farmers who subsisted as a kind of free peasantry, and perhaps an additional 10,000 people who composed the “middle-class” families of merchants, shopkeepers, and small traders. Thousands of others were beggars. There also were slaves, usually domestic servants, who owned nothing. Their offspring were born into slavery. 15 The majority of the rural population were serfs. Treated little better than slaves, the serfs went without schooling or medical care, They were under a lifetime bond to work the lord's land--or the monastery’s land--without pay, to repair the lord's houses, transport his crops, and collect his firewood. They were also expected to provide carrying animals and transportation on demand.16 Their masters told them what crops to grow and what animals to raise. They could not get married without the consent of their lord or lama.”

…

“ The serfs were taxed upon getting married, taxed for the birth of each child and for every death in the family. They were taxed for planting a tree in their yard and for keeping animals. They were taxed for religious festivals and for public dancing and drumming, for being sent to prison and upon being released. Those who could not find work were taxed for being unemployed, and if they traveled to another village in search of work, they paid a passage tax. When people could not pay, the monasteries lent them money at 20 to 50 percent interest. Some debts were handed down from father to son to grandson. Debtors who could not meet their obligations risked being cast into slavery.20”

…

“There were handcuffs of all sizes, including small ones for children, and instruments for cutting off noses and ears, gouging out eyes, breaking off hands, and hamstringing legs. There were hot brands, whips, and special implements for disemboweling. The exhibition presented photographs and testimonies of victims who had been blinded or crippled or suffered amputations for thievery. There was the shepherd whose master owed him a reimbursement in yuan and wheat but refused to pay. So he took one of the master’s cows; for this he had his hands severed. Another herdsman, who opposed having his wife taken from him by his lord, had his hands broken off.”

- http://www.michaelparenti.org/Tibet.html

In replying to

> Native Americans represent 1.7% of the US population

I think the analogy between (Tibetan people, China) and (native American people, US) makes sense.

From a colonial perspective, colonists got everything they wanted

it's a good template for anyone looking to take sovereignty over somebody else's land.

If you're trying to do that, youre already dropping ethics

Yup. That is a page from the cultural assimilation playbook. This is also why much effort went into building a rail line from the heartlands of China into Tibet, including crazy engineering feats necessary to stabilize soil within the weather extremes of those region.

Another page from the playbook: standardize the official script in which you write the spoken language. That has happened multiple times in Chinese history. And American history too.

To be fair, a majority of the native population died due to the Europeans inadvertently introducing Smallpox. While I agree with your argument as a whole, I would advise against trying to use numerical arguments for Europe's treatment of the natives.