A long line of Chinese workers hammer in the next links in the railway across the mountainous province of Tibet. Officials insist it will bring equality and prosperity, but only those who tow the party line are given work. Many fear the railway will complete China’s destruction of Tibetan culture and freedom, allowing thousands of Han Chinese to pour in across the border. “This is a very serious danger. Within a few years, Tibet with its unique culture and heritage may become history,” says the Dalai Lama. China insists development is improving Tibetan’s lives, and we are taken on a tour of a carefully selected Tibetan village. The Chinese authorities have settled around 80% of the nomads here. But critics accuse the government of putting Tibetans on marginal land while giving the best land to the well connected Han Chinese. This piece examines broader Chinese attitudes to Tibet and meets those with inside knowledge of Chinese policy. In Tibet’s monasteries China’s menacing control is still all too evident...

Produced by ABC Australia