An article entitled "As a Tibetan, I feel ashamed of some of my compatriots" written by a netizen claiming to be an ethnic Tibetan and published on bbs.tiexue.com - a bulletin board system, has been attracting huge responses.

The author, using the pen name "Longqiliu", said he was from Aba prefecture, Sichuan province, where Tibetans, Qiang and Han Chinese live together.

"As a Tibetan I know the truth and I feel obliged to tell people what our life is really like, especially when I see so many misunderstandings and even lies around the world, especially during and after the recent riots.

"I'm writing this article to tell my true feelings, as a Tibetan," the article began.

People are wrong to say that Tibetans are discriminated against by other ethnic groups in China and are poor because the government has not supported development in Tibet, he said.

"I think I am in the right place to answer these questions," he wrote.

"Tibetans are not poor. We are richer than some people from other ethnic groups, including the Han.

"In my hometown each family has about 40 head of cattle and 100 sheep, with a yearly income of more 100,000 yuan ($14,300), that is, about 20,000 yuan per person," he wrote.

"As to freedom and human rights, I want to say we're free, and those who claim we are not are wrong.

"Actually, we enjoy more favorable policies than other ethnic groups and have a lot of welfare benefits.

"Last year, the head of Aba prefecture raised money in Chengdu and brought many doctors to our doorsteps so local people who were suffering from Graves' disease could get medical treatment."

"The doctors did not take any money, saying that we should work to develop our hometown."

On the subject of education, he wrote: "The government has treated us equally and built a lot of schools in Tibet and Tibetan-populated communities."

His article has drawn favorable responses.

A person using the pseudonym "Nannan", said: "I am from the Yao ethnic group. I grew up with Han brothers and sisters, who never bullied or looked down on me. Our living standards have improved a lot during the past 20 years."

(China Daily April 15, 2008)