American Buddhist Net

Despite political tensions foreign mining companies are looking to Tibet. Tibet seems to be the new El Dorado for years to come. The ‘roof of the world’ is a treasure trove of minerals and too big a temptation. It is believed to hold as much as 30m-40m tons of copper, 40m tons of lead and zinc and more than a billion tons of high-grade iron ore. In all, the total value of Tibet’s minerals is estimated at £64.8bn by the Chinese government.

British firms are leading the race to develop the country’s mineral deposits. ‘If we don’t do it, someone else will.’ There have already been reports of clashes between Tibetans and Chinese mine workers.

In 2003, the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, used an open letter to voice his concern, saying: ‘I appeal to all foreign mining companies and their shareholders thinking about working in Tibet to consider carefully about the ethical values when embarking on such a venture.’

The Telegraph | China and Britain ready to exploit Tibet’s natural resources
Stop mining Tibet