Publications

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Annual Report 2001

GLOSSARY OF TERMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

Barkhor: 

The old Tibetan quarter and market area around the Jokhang temple in Lhasa. In Tibetan it literally means the "middle circuit" or central circumambulation.

Cadre (Tib: le che pa; Ch: gan bu):

Technically applies to staff of the Chinese government administration; also referred to those working on official projects or in state enterprises.

CCP:

The Chinese Communist Party, founded in July 1921. In Chinese , Zhong Guo Gong Chan Dang.

Circumambulation:

A religious ritual circling clockwise around a holy place in order to accumulate merit.

County (Tib: Dzong ; Ch.: Xian):

The middle level administrative unit.

CPPCC:

Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference. First convened in 1949, CPPCC consists of representatives of non-Party organisations which support the party. In nationality areas it includes leading religious figures and former aristocrats who support the Party. It is the main public organ for the United Front and meets regularly to express support and sometimes comment on Party policies. Tibetan: Krung-go mi-dmangs chab-srid gros mol tshogs-‘du..

CPL:

Criminal Procedure Law of China; the revised CPL came into effect on 1 January 1997.

Cultural Revolution (Tib: Rigs-nas gsar-brje):

The campaign initiated in 1966 by Mao Zedong in order to regain control of the Communist Party by ordering the youth to “bombard the headquarters” (purge opponents within the Party) and to eradicate “the Four Olds” (old ideas, old culture, old customs and old habits). The Chinese authorities now describe it as “The Ten Bad Years”, referring to the entire period from 1966-1976, although technically it lasted only about two years. In Tibet it is sometimes considered to have continued until 1979.

Detention Centre: (Tib: lta-strung-khang; Ch.: kanshousuo)

Place where prisoners are held without charge prior to sentencing.

DMC (Tib: u-yon lhan-khang; Ch: kanshousuo):

Democratic Management Committee; administrative organs established in 1962 in religious institutions in Tibet and reconstituted under the 1996 "Patriotic Education" Campaign.

Drapchi Prison:

Officially known as "Tibet Autonomous Region" Prison.

Endangering State Security:

Charge introduced in the revised CPL to replace "counter revolutionary".

Floating Population (Ch: liudong renkou):

Used to refer to Chinese migrants who are unregistered permanent and temporary residents in Tibet.

Geshe (Tib):

Spiritual title and doctorate; monk or lama who has completed the highest course in metaphysics and other academic monastic studies in the Gelukpa School.

guanxi (Ch):

Literally, "connection"; colloquially a connection to officialdom to acquire preferential treatment.

Gutsa (Tib):

Detention centre for Lhasa region located three miles east of Lhasa near the Kyichu River. Holds prisoners who are being investigated and have not yet either been "arrested" (i.e. charged) or given administrative sentences.

gyama (Tib):

Unit of measurement equivalent to 500 grams.

Khenpo (Tib):

Literally, abbot. In Nyingma and Kagyu traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, Khenpo is analogous to the Geshe degree.

lama (Tib):

The Tibetan term for a respected religious teacher, equivalent to the Sanskrit term guru. A lama is not necessarily a monk, although monasticism is preferred for all lamas in the Gelugpa school. Chinese politicians use the term incorrectly to refer to any monk.

motsey (Tib):

10 motsey equal one yuan.

mu (Tib):

A measure of land area equal to 67 square metres

NC Rs:

Nepalese Rupee (NC Rs 70 is equivalent to US$1)

PAP (Tib: drag ches Nyen tok dmag mi; Ch: Wu Jing):

People's Armed Police, a paramilitary unit formed in 1983, responsible for internal security, border controls, and the protection of State installations, including prisons.

Patriotic Education:

A sub-campaign of “Strike Hard” under which Chinese “work teams” are sent into Tibetan monasteries and nunneries to enforce Communist ideology.

Prefecture (Tib: Sa-khul; Ch: diqu):

The administrative area below the level of a province or region and above the level of a county. The “TAR” is divided into six prefectures. A “Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture” (Chinese: Zang zu Zizhizhou) is a prefecture outside the “Tibetan Autonomous Region” but still considered to include a predominantly Tibetan population.

Procuracy (Tib: zhib chu; Ch: jian chayan):

A Chinese judicial agency responsible for investigating and prosecuting criminal cases. It also handles complaints against the police, prison officials and other branches of the administration.

PSB (Tib: schi de chus; Ch.: Gong An Ju):

Public Security Bureau, local level police force responsible for detaining and arresting suspects and for pre-trial custody.

rukhag (Tib):

One small unit within a prison, village, school, or military etc.

SEZ :

Special Economic Zone, a zone created by the PRC in designated areas to promote economic growth including tax exemptions for investors.

Splittism (Tib: kha-dral-ring-lugs):

Party term for the movement for Tibetan independence or any nationalist sentiments.

Strike Hard ( Tib: dungdek tsanen; Ch: yanda):

A PRC campaign targetted at crushing corruption and crime. But within Tibet the Chinese authorities are aiming the campaign at “splittists”.

thangka (Tib):

Painted religious scroll.

TIN:

Tibet Information Network; an independent monitoring group based in London.

themtho (Tib): (Ch: hu kou):

Residence registration document; also used as a ration card.

Tibet:

“Tibet” in this report refers to “ethnographic” Tibet and encompasses the entire Tibetan plateau. Prior to China’s occupation of Tibet, the plateau was divided into three provinces; Kham, Amdo and U-Tsang. This area includes what China now terms the “Tibet Autonomous Region” as well as Tibetan-inhabited portions of the neighbouring Chinese provinces of Qinghai, Sichuan, Gansu, and Yunnan. In Beijing’s usage, “Tibet” refers only to that part of ethnographic Tibet now within the “Tibetan Autonomous Region”.

Tibet Autonomous Prefecture (TAP) (Tib: Bod rang-skyong khul):

There are 10 of these administrative areas (below the level of a province or region) created outside “TAR” by the Chinese authorities, located in northern and eastern Tibet (in the Tibetan provinces of Kham and Amdo).

Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) (Tib: Bod rang-skyong ljongs; Ch: Xizang Zizhiqu):

Tibet Autonomous Region; formally created by China in 1965, this area of central and western Tibet, covering the area west of the Yangtze River and south of the Kunlun Mountains, is the only area recognised by China as being “Tibet”.

Township (Ch: Xiang):

The lower level administrative unit, formarlly covering a township, but in rural areas covering a group of villages.

Work team (Tib: las don ru khag; Ch: gongzuo dui;):

Specially-formed units of government personnel sent to conduct “Patriotic re-education” in an institution or locality.

Yartsa Gunbhu:

A Tibetan medical plant (botanical name : cordyceps sinensis).

yuan:

Chinese currency. As of December 2001, 8.5 yuan is approximately US$1.