[sak9645]

While many Tibetans want their independence, the fact is that, at this time, Tibet is considered part of China.

China does not allow people living outside of the country to adopt children by dealing directly with Chinese birthparents, lawyers, orphanages, etc. Anyone who wants to adopt from China must go through a licensed, not-for-profit American adoption agency that is registered with the Chinese government. And all children are assigned to foreign applicants by a single branch of the Chinese government, the China Center for Adoption Affairs (CCAA).

In theory, the CCAA could refer a child from Tibet, just as it could refer a child from any of the country's provinces and Autonomous Regions. Unless you are of Chinese heritage, you cannot request a child from a particular province.

In fact, however, the likelihood of being referred a child from Tibet is extremely low, for the following reasons:

1. A Chinese province must agree to participate in international adoption. Not all provinces agree to participate, usually because they do not want to see children taken out of the country. The number of provinces that participate has been increasing, especially since they have seen how the mandatory orphanage donation required of foreign adoptive families has benefitted the care of children, but there are still some that do not. China does not publish the list of those that do and those that don't; however, you can tell by following the referrals posted on large listservs and bulletin boards, like A-Parents-China. I am unaware of any referrals that have ever come in from Tibet.

2. In addition, at least one orphanage in the province must agree to participate in international adoption. Even when a province participates in international adoption, not all the orphanages in a province do. The CCAA requires orphanages eligible for international adoption to meet certain quality standards, and to comply with certain paperwork requirements regarding the health and development of the resident children. Not all orphanages want to or can comply with these standards and requirements. So it is possible that Tibet might be willing, but an orphanage might not.

3. Ethnic minorities in China have, historically been exempt from the one-child policy. It is my understanding that the Tibetan people are NOT of the majority Han ethnic group. Therefore, although children may be orphaned, or may have birthparents unable to care for them because of poverty or other problem, there probably are fewer abandoned children than there are in most parts of China, because families are not pressured into having only one child. Most of the children placed with foreign families have been abandoned, and the one-child policy has often been the likely reason.

4. China is very conscious of world opinion. It is also deeply committed to an orderly society. It wouldn't surprise me if the CCAA made a formal or informal decision not to place children from Tibet at this time, because it is aware that many foreigners support Tibetan independence and because it does not want foreigners trooping around Tibet, asking a lot of questions and stirring up nationalistic sentiments.

I used to assume that the so-called Autonomous Regions of China, of which there are five, including Tibet, were not allowed to participate in international adoption. However, I recently met a child who was one of the first to be adopted from Inner Mongolia (Nei Mongol) Autonomous Region.

Inner Mongolia, not to be confused with Mongolia, a separate country, has also been a bit restive, with calls for independence. And yet it is now participating in China's international adoption program. So it is possible that, at some point in the future, we will see the first child referred from Tibet.

Sharon