On March 24, Professor Hao Shiyuan, Deputy Secretary General of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Director of the Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology Study, said the truth of the "Greater Tibet," proposed by the Dalai Lama, is that he seeks independence under the guise of ethnic autonomy. It has violated the Constitution of the People's Republic of China and the Law of the People's Republic of China on Regional Nationality Autonomy.

"According to the Constitution of the People's Republic of China and the Law of the People's Republic of China on Regional National Autonomy, the basic content of the system of regional autonomy of ethnic minorities is regional autonomy of ethnic minorities. It is a basic policy consistent with China's conditions and also an important political system of China," he said.

In the two laws, the phrase "ethnic autonomy system" does not appear, nor is it said to be equal to "regional autonomy of ethnic minorities."

Professor Hao said, in China, regional autonomy of ethnic minorities is a system combining the ethnic and regional factors. The ethnic factor highlights the ethnic groups' implementation of autonomy at different levels of administrative areas such as autonomous regions, counties and townships. And the regional factor highlights the common interests of all ethnic groups in the autonomous areas.

Then in the autonomous areas, these two factors form the local people's congresses and people's governments, which exercise the right of autonomy under the Constitution of the People's Republic of China and the Law of the People's Republic of China on Regional Nationality Autonomy.

In other words, an ethnic minority, as long as it has a certain population size in a certain administrative area, can enjoy the regional autonomy of ethnic minorities in the area. The system goes with the people and with the administrative area.

For instance, if there is an area where Tibetans gather and live in Jiangsu Province and they make up a big proportion of the area's total population, then an autonomous county or township could be established here. And they can be given the right of managing the affairs of their own ethnic group. This is a demonstration of the ethnic factor with the ethnic identity highlighted.

Meanwhile, the autonomous administrative area is not exclusive for other ethnic groups. So there might be people of other ethnic groups, for instance, the Han nationality, the Tujia nationality, Mongolians and so on, living in the neighborhood of the Tibetan families.

Therefore, this autonomous county or township should take the common interests of all the ethnic groups in the area into consideration in its administration. It is a local- level state administrative organ. This is a reflection of its regional factor.

Why does China adopt this method? An important reason is the reality that China's ethnic groups live together over vast areas while some live in individual concentrated communities in small areas. In such a unified country, different ethnic groups could migrate according to their needs freely and spontaneously.

This reality decides the ethnic policy should go with the people. Wherever the people of a certain ethnic group go, the policy goes with them. And this rule is implemented universally across the country.

As this combination of ethnic factor and regional factor takes care of the common interests of all ethnic groups, the ethnic minorities, while living together with their own group, could co-exist in harmony with other ethnic groups. The unity will not be harmed.

Professor Hao said, in some countries, the mode of ethnic autonomy was implemented by the practice whereby ethnic political parties obtain a majority of seats in the local council in the election and form the local government. For instance, in Scotland and the Basque region of Spain, this is just the case.

However, if the ethnic political parties fail in the election, then the area will adopt regional autonomy. The ethnic autonomy will only be implemented when it is passed through a vote in the local council. Resident (indigenous) autonomy is also a form of ethnic autonomy.

First of all, the "genuine autonomy" Dalai Lama calls for is a negation of the current practice of regional autonomy of ethnic minorities. Secondly, his "respect the unique Tibetan identity" and "unified settlement" are actually creating a regional "territorial basis", or "Greater Tibet."

Thirdly, he calls for the Tibetans should have the right of establishing the local government and government organizations consistent with its own needs and characteristics, as well as the systems. This is a negation of the existing local People's Congress and People's Government with the purpose of Tibetans ruling Tibet.

Fourth, his autonomous program combines the contents of ethnic autonomy of the countries mentioned above, but his mode is actually seeking "genuine" autonomy in accordance with the "one country, two systems" arrangement in Hong Kong and Macao.

His autonomous program is built on the basis of the so-called fully consistent with the Constitution in terms of autonomy. But the real hint is, in order to make it appropriate for the needs and characteristics of the Tibetan nationality, re-examination and revision may be necessary for some of the autonomy provisions to finally achieve a high degree of ethnic autonomy allowing Tibetans to rule Tibet.