13. Apr 2009
20,000 households destined for 'socialist villages'
(eng.Tibet.cn; TibetanReview.net) 19,042 rural households in Shigatse (Chin: Xigaze) prefecture, in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), will be moved into new 'socialist village' homes in 2009, according to Chinese state media. The project has been questioned by human rights and exile Tibetan groups for the heavy burden of debt it will place on Tibetan farmers, and because the quality of the new houses is mostly poor. In recent years, the construction of 'socialist villages' has made Tibetan building entrepreneurs, who tend to be generally close to the regime, very wealthy. The report stated that 751 new village committees will be set up as a result of the development.