Development Discourses on the Tibetan Plateau: Urbanization and Expropriation of Farmland in Dartsedo

development disCourses on the tibetan plateau: urbanization and expropriation oF Farmland in dartsedo The term " development " defines the Chinese official discourse on Tibet and Tibetans. Officials speak of development in symbolic and practical terms as it serves the overall policy strategy towards Tibet. This paper examines the meaning of development in the context of encounters between government officials and local residents in Dartsedo (Chin.:Kangding) in Eastern Tibet over a new town project. Because urbanization has been portrayed as the driving force of growth and development in Tibetan areas, this paper investigates the implementation of such an initiative. I argue that project implementation on the ground stands in sharp contrast to the language of " people first " and " scientific " development in the official discourse. Furthermore, I argue that the discrepancies between rhetoric and reality have led to a series of socioeconomic problems for the relocated farmers. INTRODUCTION Urban areas in China, including Tibet, have grown rapidly since the 1980s (Yeh 2008). The government and, to an extent, the academic community in China, have largely overlooked the implication of rapid urbanization for the millions of farmers or villagers who have been " legally or illegally " made landless over the years. They have been officially categorized as " land-lost farmers " (shidinongmin) who lost their land, especially in peri-urban villages, due to urbanization and real estate development. The population of land-lost farmers was 40 to 50 million in 2005, although this figure does not include farmers who have moved illegally (Zhao 2005). According to official statistics, three million people become land-lost farmers every year in China. The total number is expected to double in 2020 with the current pace of urbanization (Zhao 2005). The official media, both national and local, frequently carries news of how well " land-lost farmers " have been compensated in the form of education, health and employment benefits (Sichuan News Online 2009). and investment have brought economic opportunities , modern infrastructure, and an increased flow of goods and capital into the region. However, for some, the intervention has resulted in the creation of dependence due to the low priority given to local participation and empowerment through such facilities as education, science, technology, and public health (see Gele, Zhuoma, and Lumei 2006; Demurger et al. 2002). At the same time, cities such as Lhasa and Kangding have increasingly been populated by Chi-nese migrants from …