Mining in Tibet: backgrounder

The exploitation of Tibet’s natural resources has been a concern to Tibetans for many years. The opening of the Gormo-Lhasa railway in 2006 and rapid growth in the number of mining operations in recent years has intensified these concerns.

Tibet has 126 known minerals, including rich deposits of chromium, copper, iron and boron. In 2007, China’s top geologist confirmed that vast deposits of copper, iron, lead and zinc had been found along the route of the newly opened railway, indicating that a primary purpose of the railway is to open up Tibet’s mineral wealth for rapid extraction.

One copper deposit in Qulong, Tibet, has a proven reserve of 7.89 million tons, making it the second largest copper find in China and Tibet. The Government of China has also acknowledged that mining is now one of Lhasa’s “pillar industries”.

With these developments, there has been an unprecedented increase in exploration and investment in Tibet’s extractive sector. Chinese, Canadian and British mining companies have taken the lead, often in joint ventures and with considerable support from their governments.

Seven Canadian companies are actively mining in Tibetan regions, or are poised to begin, including Inter-Citic Minerals Inc, Silk Road Resources Ltd.,Continental Minerals (Hunter Dickinson), Eldorado Gold Corp, Maxy Gold Corp, Silvercorp Metals Inc., and Sterling Group Ventures Inc.

Click here to see map of Canadian mining projects in Tibet

In March 2007, a report commissioned by the Government of Canada to look at corporate social responsibility in the extractive sector included the suggestion that “international ‘no-go’ zones for Canadian extractive companies be established, including countries with serious and widespread human rights abuses, such as Burma and Tibet.”

Click here to read the full report.

Even TAR authorities have acknowledged the adverse effects that mining can have on Tibet’s fragile environment. In June 2007, they announced a ban on the mining of gold, mercury, arsenic and peat to preserve the mineral resources and protect the environment. The status and effectiveness of this ban is unknown.

Chinese authorities also announced their decision to levy a deposit on mining companies that wish to exploit the TAR’s mineral resources.

While these two initiatives could be viewed as positive steps, they do not protect the rights of the Tibetan people, their culture or environment. Nor do they address the challenges currently faced by the Tibetan people as they seek full participation in decisions that affect the development of their country.

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