Around The World [10.30.14]

South Asia

• Politics in Pakistan : Army in the middle. A messy stand-off between the government, protesters and the army suggests that controlling Pakistan is harder than ever (Economist)

Tibet

• Tibet : Taming the west The Communist Party deepens. Tibet’s integration with the rest of the country (Economist)

"The line to Shigatse stretches 250km southwest of Lhasa and will reduce the five-hour road journey to two hours by rail. As well as allowing easier access for tourists to Tibet’s second city, it will make an area rich in natural resources more accessible. (The Chinese name for Tibet, Xizang, translates as “Western treasurehouse”.) In the autumn the construction is due to start on another extension, running 400km from Lhasa to Nyingtri, a county with large hydropower potential. 

Through religious control, the erosion of Tibetan language, intense surveillance and “patriotic education” policies the government has sought to suppress traditional beliefs and customs. More than 130 Tibetans have set fire to themselves in protest since 2009. It has become almost impossible for ordinary Tibetans to travel abroad from Tibet, and border security has been tightened. Before 2008 the number of Tibetans escaping into Nepal each year was as high as 3,000. Last year only 300 made it out. 

 Last year the region’s GDP grew by nearly 13%. Chinese companies and workers wield advantages: Tibetans often lack the linguistic skill and the connections to get ahead. As a result, much revenue flows back east."

Palestine

• Sweden officially recognises state of Palestine (Guardian)

"Sweden becomes first EU member in western Europe to make move, saying ‘we hope this will show the way for others’ 

Sweden’s new prime minister, Stefan Löfven, announced in his inaugural address to parliament in early October that his country would become the first EU member in western Europe to recognise a Palestinian state."