Tibet: Beijing Compares Tibetan Serfs to Slaves

Preparing for the 50th anniversary next Tuesday of a failed uprising in Tibet against Chinese rule, Beijing authorities issued a white paper on Monday presenting their interpretation of Tibetan history, comparing the abolition of "serfdom" in Tibet under Chinese rule to the emancipation of slaves in the United States. The Dalai Lama and other Tibetan leaders have accepted that traditional Tibetan society had shortcomings, but contend that Beijing has long exaggerated the plight of Tibetan peasants and that improvements were under way before China's military action in 1959.