Human rights situation in Tibet 2023 – A year in review

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The year 2023 has been marked by a significant amount of global conflict, including two major wars and the loss of many lives. As the world deals with these crises and conflicts, Tibet has been, for more than six decades, a place where some of the most visible and egregious human rights violations committed by the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) have occurred, and the human rights situation in 2023 was no different.

For the third consecutive year, Freedom House has ranked Tibet as the least free region on Earth, with an overall score of just 1 out of 100. In 2023, China remained the world’s worst offender of internet freedom for the ninth consecutive year as free expression continues to be suppressed in the country with heightened control over citizens’ access to information, online activities on social media and crackdown on prominent rights activists and bloggers with long imprisonment.

The PRC government’s “Sinicization” campaign in Tibet continues to intensify, evident by the persistent operations of state-run colonial boarding schools housing nearly 1 million Tibetan children, even as Tibetan schools are being systematically shut down across the region. The government mouthpieces have amplified their publicity of boarding schools, indicating their intent to offer education to children from all regions of Tibet. However, they failed to address pressing curriculum concerns or discriminatory policies that impede access to cultural, religious, and language education for Tibetan students. Last year alone, more than 34 thousand Tibetan residents have been forced to relocate from their traditional land to government-built housing for various reasons, including making way for hydropower projects, so-called ecological conservation and facilitating the PRC government’s control of Tibetans in fixed settlements.

Reports from exile news media indicate that at least 40 Tibetans, both monks and laypeople, have been detained arbitrarily, of whom eight have received prison sentences of up to three years in connection with their expression of Tibetan identity. The practice of torture, despite being regarded as a grave violation of fundamental human rights, continues to be endemic in Chinese prisons without any repercussions. Several reports have emerged that Tibetan political prisoners have died in Chinese custody, prisoners have been released in very poor health or on medical parole, and Tibetan activists have been beaten up by Chinese authorities or CCP goons. The repeated assaults by Chinese authorities on Tibetan rights activist Gonpo Kyi demonstrate the extent to which the Chinese government is willing to use its power to restrict Tibetans’ fundamental rights, including the right to appeal for a fair trial despite its guarantee by Chinese law. Tibetan language rights activist Tashi Wangchuk was also ambushed by CCP goons in a hotel room and later denied a business license by the local municipality, in a clear example of the continued attacks and mistreatment of former political prisoners.

Zangkar Jamyang and Golog Palden’s long prison terms demonstrate the PRC government’s recklessness in attacking influential Tibetan individuals merely for expressing Tibetan identity and concerns about the eradication of Tibetan language due to Chinese oppression. A group of four Tibetan individuals were given two years of imprisonment each for initiating religious events in their village, which simply included sang-sol, a purification or cleansing of spiritual pollution or blockages, and reciting prayers for the longevity and wellbeing of Tibetan Buddhist religious leaders. Also, a Tibetan man named Tsultrim and a Tibetan woman named Semkyi Dolma were both sentenced to two and one and a half years imprisonment for maintaining pictures of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and communicating with Tibetans in exile, respectively.

By promulgating the infamous “Measures for the Administration of Religious Activity Sites”, or Order 19, the PRC government has demonstrated its malicious attempts to subjugate and gain control over religious institutions by making the “Sinicization” of religion a mandatory part of its national laws. It mandates, among other things, that religious institutions provide political indoctrination sessions to their members, where the members will be instructed in the CCP’s policies and guidelines, laws and regulations, and the “excellent traditional culture” and religion of China. The Tibetan people continue to face harsh punishment and arbitrary detention as a consequence of their expression of religious identity and participation in religious activities. Chinese authorities have barred Tibetans from attending a key Buddhist event of Kalachakra out of fear that the gathering of more than 100,000 people could pose a threat to the government. Two basic facts can be drawn: Tibetan people lack respect, dignity, and freedom to express their rights, while the Chinese government is insecure about the rule of Tibet.

The utilization of advanced AI tools to monitor and surveil Tibetans, coupled with other surveillance strategies such as disinformation campaigns and censorship, is exacerbating the deteriorating human rights condition in Tibet. The Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) Cyber Security Management Regulations which came into effect on 1 February 2023 subject individuals engaging in activities that relate to Tibetan culture, language or religion to stricter regulations and harsher punishments. The law does not specify what violations could lead to an individual Tibetan being detained or arrested by authorities, thus giving Chinese police the arbitrary power to target Tibetans for cultural, social, and religious conversations. The regulations have caused disruption and setbacks in the lives of Tibetans where they are unable to practice their culture and go about their normal lives. For instance, a number of Tibetan men and women were arbitrarily detained for sharing pictures of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, audio tracks on Tibetan Buddhism, talking on accumulating religious merits on social media WeChat groups.

Transnational repression by the PRC government has led to self-censorship among Tibetan diaspora, who live in constant fear and have, as a result, been forced to sever contact with family members in Tibet to protect them from potential PRC government reprisals. Last year, credible reports indicated Tibetan youth were denied the opportunity to apply for government jobs if their family members are in diaspora communities or they actively participate in activities to expose the PRC’s repression of Tibet, thereby forcing them to cut ties with their families in exile.

China’s disinformation campaign is strategically crafted to achieve two goals: to counter Tibetan historical accounts and to divert and mislead the global audience, shifting their attention away from its human rights abuses. The latest “White Paper” on Tibet titled “CCP Policies on the Governance of Xizang in the New Era: Approach and Achievements”, aims primarily to misinform the international community by painting a flowery image of Tibet by using figures that imply development that does not benefit Tibetans in any way, while sugarcoating the violations of human rights being committed in Tibet. All official documents replacing “Tibet” with “Xizang” (Chinese term for Tibet) make it clear that the PRC government attempts to imply legitimacy of its illegal occupation of Tibet and reclaim the global association of “Tibet” with injustice and eradicating a valuable culture.

In addition to all of the unjust stories from Tibet under CCP repression, last year also saw growing support for Tibet from the international community through the passing of legislation and resolutions, as well as the release of statements and reports condemning the PRC government’s repressive policies aimed at eradicating Tibetan identity at its core through compulsory colonial boarding schools and “vocational training” programs, among others. Having the support of the international community is vital to advancing the Tibetan cause since it provides a platform for advocacy, intensifies diplomatic pressure, and promotes a greater understanding of Tibetan issues in general.

Likewise, last year demonstrated that the Tibetan people inside Tibet have remained committed to preserving Tibetan identity despite increasing pressure and repression by the PRC government in its attempt to penetrate Tibetan identity and turn it into Chinese.