Dharamshala: - The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), which is based in the Himalayan hill town in northern India strongly urged Chinese government to stop destructing one of the last remnants of cultural center of Tibet.
"We are deeply concerned about the so-called 'face-lift project' that is currently underway in Barkhor and the old town area of Tibet's capital Lhasa," CTA said in a statement issued on 16 May 2013.
"Apparently, for this project China is investing 196 million US dollar to upgrade "infrastructure" in the old town of Lhasa. However, according to recent reports," the administration added.
It confirms that the actual plan is to completely transform the Jokhang and Barkhor area which is of great spiritual and cultural heritage of Tibetans for more than a thousand year, into a superficial tourist spot.
The statement said that "Fearing this inevitability under Chinese regime, the Central Tibetan Administration in the past had pleaded many times with the UNESCO and other organizations for the inclusion of Jokhang and Barkhor area in the World Heritage list."
"We strongly urge the Chinese leadership to stop destructing one of the last remnants of spiritual, cultural and social centre of Tibet," it further stated.
According to reports coming out of Tibet say Tibetans living among the ancient buildings around Lhasa's Jokhang Temple have been uprooted by the Chinese government in recent weeks; creating further destruction and demolition of the ancient Tibetan civilization.
"The construction project in the areas of Barkor streets of the Jokhang temple covers an area of 150,000 square meters to use as new shopping malls and 1,117 square meters for the underground parking spaces", said the sources.
Recent visitors have raised strong concerns over the constructions as well as the fate of Lhasa and condemned them for demolishing the ancient symbols of Tibetan civilization.
