Tibetan Legislators on May 22 passed a special law to encourage use of the Tibetan language, the first such requirement since the language evolved 1,300 years ago.
The law approved at the 15th session of the Seventh Regional People's Congress of the Tibet Autonomous Region, says that the Tibetan language must have equal emphasis and legal status to the standard Chinese language in the region.
According to its 19 articles, pupils must study the Tibetan language during their nine years of compulsory education, while standard Chinese is also taught. When assemblies and government meetings are held, or at court, people can choose between using the Tibetan language or standard Chinese.
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Goinqog Gyaco, a linguist with the Tibet Regional Academy of Social Sciences, said the Tibetan language faced a challenge in the wake of globalization and cultural influences, even though it was one of the best-preserved languages in the world. The law would play an active role in protecting it.
The law stipulates that the language should be widely used in mass communications, including advertisements.
It requires the regional government to take active measures to train more teachers, editors and writers to be fluent in the language.
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The new law which evolved from a 1987 provisional one, took nearly 20 years to be formally adopted. Ngapoi Ngawang Jigme, vice-chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, and the late 10th Panchen Lama had worked hard for its introduction.