The European Union released its ‘Report on Human Rights and Democracy
in the World’ for 2021, on April 19. The Report highlighted the further
worsening of the human rights situation in China and exploitive policies of
the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) government in Tibet. While the report
documents the violation of Human Rights by the Chinese authorities, it also
noted that it is the education which is being used by the CCP as an
instrument of its policy of ‘de-Tibetanization’ with the adoption of Mandarin
and a medium of education and official work, besides denying higher
education to the followers of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
The EU report dwelled into the important issues regarding human rights in
China, including the restrictions on media freedom and access to
information, as well as the use of enforced disappearances, secret
detentions and torture. The report noted continuous interference by the CCP
which interprets the religious activities in context of its ideology, Tibetan
practices being no exception. The report observed that the Chinese
government had been adopting similar practices, to restrict Tibetan culture,
language and identity, as it did in Xinjiang.
In pursuance of the policy of religious persecution and interference the CCP
has been carrying out ‘detentions, torture and custodial deaths Tibetan
monks and human rights activists. The report also noted that the private
language schools, which were using Tibetan language as medium of
instruction have been closed or have been directed to teach in Mandarin
instead. This is in line with targeting the young minds, who when taught in
Mandarin would automatically drift away from their culture and identity.
Using a classical ‘top-down’ as well as ‘bottom-up’ approach, CCP is
attempting to quell the use of native language by the Tibetans. According to
a report in Radio Free Asia, while the CCP continues to targets the young
minds, the Chinese officials in rural areas of Tibet, have been restricting the
use of Tibetan language and compelling ‘village leaders’ to speak in Chinese.
In a big push to thrust Mandarin on the Elders, workshops are being
organized by the local Administration, since the end of 2021. The Elders too
have been asked to carry out their business in Chinese language. The Radio
Free Asia report revealed that ‘a 10-day workshop was held for local leaders
in Kongpo in Central-Eastern Tibet to promote Chinese’. The report added
that as part of this drive, ‘six workshops have been organized in Kongpo’s
Gyamda County’. This is a definitive move by the CCP to break their Tibetan
people’s ties to their culture and identity. The CCP’s efforts are also being
augmented through 5G network by conducting education in Tibet in
Mandarin Chinese in online teaching, research, and communications
between schools.
Higher educational institutions such as universities in Tibet have been
notorious in discriminating against those by not admitting those suspected of
following the Dalai Lama. While this was not spelt out clearly, it has now been
put in black and white by the Chinese Ministry of Education on April 22 in its
‘The Tibet Autonomous Region’s 2022 Regular College Admissions
Regulations.’ The regulation laid down procedure and process for college
admissions.
An important aspect of this Regulation is the ‘Ideological and Political
Morality Assessment,’ which means that being outstanding is not good
enough to secure admission in a university in Tibet but “ideological and
political morality” is the actual requisite for the admission. This mandates that
the academic administrations should make a complete appraisal of the
student’s political attitude and ideological morality, and vet the same from
the CCP office bearers of the place where candidate comes from.
This has been included in the admission process to ensure that candidates
have never supported movements or activities that ‘endangers the unity of
the motherland or national unity’ should only be given chance to study
further. This leaves those Tibetans who support the Dalai Lama and what
the CCP refers to as ‘the separatist Dalai clique’ outside the ambit of higher
education. By implication this means only those with profound knowledge of
CCP’s theory and practices are eligible for preferential treatment for further
education.
Evidently, the Tibetan Buddhism has been perceived as a threat by the CCP
which continues to tighten its hold on the religion by way of regulations, which
cannot be upheld by any international law. With Chinese officials vigorously
enforcing the rules, the effort is also directed to erase the Dalai Lama from
Tibet along with the Tibetan culture and language which continue to be
subsumed by the Maoist ideology.
Tibetan Buddhism under threat of eradication by CCP onslaught
