Just as the Karakorum highway has made possible trade transport into
Tibet, the Demchok Road will do the same, Central and Western Tibet
are very undeveloped regions. The road will also allow Buddhist
pilgrims much easier access to the sacred Mount Kailash, an extremely
important site for Indian Buddhists, who will bring money and provide
work in that area.
China is well aware of this factor. Last year there was talk about
the government's planning to build a road around Mt. Kailash, which
the pilgrims now - as for centuries - hike around for three or more
days.
I hope this plan has been abandoned. It was not clear whether the
Chinese wanted to enhance or undermine pilgrimage by building the
road.
To what extent the Demchok Road will/can increase exports and travel
by Tibetans to Ladakh is open, since there is not much to export and
it seems highly unlikely that the Chinese would want to allow Tibetans
to visit Ladakh or beyond, perhaps to visit the Dalai Lama. (But maybe
the government would like to see such pious people leave the country
and not let them come back.)
If you are interested in the situation in Tibet, this site wil be
useful, especially item of 13 June, which mentions the Demchok Road:
http://www.tibetsociety.co.uk/news.asp
(Not bad, Myo, sounds like you read that before. But I didn't.)
Myoarin |