Tibetans are working for a political cause while facing consistent security challenges from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)
Lhasa: Tibetans are working for a political cause while facing consistent security challenges from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Being intimidated by CCP officials directly, Tibetans are unable to talk to their families who live in Tibet and their electronic devices are being hacked and monitored, Inkstick reported.
Also Read: UN Ask Taliban To End Gender-Based Violence In Afghanistan
As per the report, the Chinese Communist Party’s goal is to create “an iron curtain between those within and outside Tibet.” In order to fulfil its aim, the CCP has been taking several measures, including confiscating the passports of Tibetans in Tibet and the whole of China. Tibetans who wish to visit Tibet are only permitted to enter with a special permit. For visiting Tibet, they need to register themselves in Lhasa and the authorities then monitor their movement. These activities are being carried out by two primary entities of CCP – the Ministry of State Security and the United Front Work Department.
These entities of the CCP have stressed that they will “assist” members of the Tibetan diaspora in visiting Tibet, Inkstick reported. If the Tibetans do not agree, these entities start imposing pressure on them by threatening their family members in Tibet as a ‘tactic of intimidation.’ China is trying to “gain control” of the Tibetan community as much as possible and they are using their family members as an advantage.
Tibetans have a sense of unity among people as they continue to make efforts for defending their rights and culture. Tibetans have been making efforts to have an international debate regarding their rights and culture while facing external threats, as per the report.
The CCP constantly infiltrates the Tibetan community living in other nations by spreading disinformation and recruiting informants. CCP has been trying to create a divide between different sections of Tibetan Buddhism on social media sites, like Facebook and Telegram.
As per the report, Tibetans receive phishing emails and fake Chinese Communist Party social media accounts following pages that support Dalai Lama to make themselves look legitimate to unsuspecting users.
CCP officials sometimes openly intimidate Tibetan leaders, make use of monetary incentives and threaten people’s connections in Tibet to recruit Tibetans to act as spies within their own community, Inkstick reported. China is doing everything possible in both subtle and overt ways as Tibet is important to Beijing.
Serta Tsultrim, a Tibetan MP, has said that 20 out of 45 MPs in the government-in-exile support total independence of Tibet, as per the news report. People in Tibet are forced to give personal documents to obtain sim cards.
Many Tibetan activists living in other nations do not contact their families in Tibet to protect them. Tsultrim’s brother was imprisoned in Tibet for explaining no reason. Tsultrim has not spoken about the issue in front of the media, however, he suspects that his brother could be punished for his own political involvement.
Students for a Free Tibet is an initiative started in 1994 after the Dalai Lama received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989. Students for a Free Tibet comprises Tibetan and non-Tibetan activists and its India chapter was created in 2000 to focus on Tibetans within India.
Students for a Free Tibet works in campaigns to free political prisoners and climate as well as environmental justice. In addition, they also give training on strategic non-violence and believe in total independence for Tibet.
As per the news report, China continues to shift Han Chinese immigrants to Tibet. Beijing has claimed that Tibet is now around 10% Han, however, the report’s author claimed that people in Dharamshala have revealed that Han Chinese immigrants were now closer to 30 or 40% in Tibet.
China has recognized ‘The Tibetan Youth Congress as a terrorist organization. Tibetan Youth Congress works under the Dalai Lama to unite the Tibetan people and to preserve their culture and identity. Tibetan Youth Congress president Gonpo Dhundup said that members of the group are questioned when they visit Tibet.
He further said that Tibetan Youth Congress’ general secretary has avoided speaking to his family for several years in order to protect them, as per the Inkstick report. Dhundup claimed that he himself has been targeted as the CCP started obtaining the contact numbers of activists living in Dharamshala and started threatening them.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by HW News staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
As an independent media platform, we do not take advertisements from governments and corporate houses. It is you, our readers, who have supported us on our journey to do honest and unbiased journalism. Please contribute, so that we can continue to do the same in future.
