Tibetans may meet the fate of Uighers soon, says President of Tibet Government in Exile Sikyong Penpa Tsering

Call it expansionism, Imperialism or colonisation, in the context of China all is fair. Its dying urge for controlling and grabbing territory, either through debt diplomacy or territorial coercion, has lately landed small nations into the clinching arms of the dragon in an irreversible manner. When China insists on all visiting dignitaries to reiterate that Tibet is an integral part of China including countries of SCO and its neighbors, it believes a lie told hundred times becomes the truth. And if it comes from Dalai Lama it adds credence to it. In the Indian context China asserts a reciprocal action regarding its One China policy (recognize Sikkim to be part of India) which is now India’s official stand. The narrative of the communist authoritarian state is so loud that it tends to silence the alternative narrative.

President of the Tibetan government in Exile in Dharamshala, Sikyong Penpa Tsering quotes scholars and authors to prove his point that Tibet was never a part of China. Calling it an occupation in 1951, he points out that when China says its ready to talk to Dalai Lama, its not on Tibet and that its a façade that China plays out for its domestic audience.   

Grid Lock System

‘We are dying a slow death. Genocide in whatever form, whatever speed, we are dying slowly,’ mourns Penpa Tsering. He informs that the number of nuns and monks have drastically decreased and the ones that are staying put are under strict watch. In terms of religion there is a lot of surveillance by Public Security Bureau and from Intelligence Department. Tibet is going through a lot of social and democratic change, he emphasises. Big monasteries which earlier had 3000-4000 of them are left with 300-400 now. There is control over the movement of nuns in the Tibet Autonomous Region as they are considered a threat by the govt.  

The visit of Chinese Premier Xi Jinping to Tibet in May 2020 ostensibly was nothing much ado about anything but the undercurrents spelled a larger objective. There has been an increased intensification in terms of control. Interestingly called the Grid Lock system there is an increased electronic surveillance on Tibetans living both inside and outside Tibet. All Tibetans, wherever in the world are under Chinese scanner to the extent of threats to their kin in Tibet for their behaviour outside. There is a palpable fear of Tibetans meeting the same fate as that of Uighurs and Hong Kong citizens, says Tsering.

Killing of a culture

Tibetan language is being destroyed slowly, rues Penpa. Chinese is being taught from the kindergarten level to Tibetan children ensuring that without knowing Chinese, which is the official language now, employment opportunities will be nil for them. Control of curriculum and religion be it Buddhism, Christianity or any other is changing the entire landscape. Pictures of His Holiness are banned in the Tibet Autonomous Region by China. Students and Communist Party cadres are not allowed to visit monasteries. To travel to Tibet Autonomous Region one needs at least five different permissions.

China has been too concerned about the reincarnation of the Lamas that falls into the domain of religious freedom of the Tibetans. ‘Panchen Lama was abdicated and if rumours are to be believed he was killed which went without a post mortem’, says Penpa Tsering.

Tibet cause

So how are they furthering their cause? The Government in Exile has restructured a Task Force of Tibet Dialogue which is called  the Permanent Strategic Committee to talk to the Chinese government and work out a "middle way". Compromise and surrender is the only way out as Sikyong says, 'we are not asking for total independence as we are well aware that the world will not be on our side in our claim for independence against China and we cannot fight a lone battle against the dragon.'

As for India the govt of Autonomous Region of Tibet is in constant touch with the Indian government at the top level seeking support for their cause. Without mincing words Tsering says, 'without India we wouldn’t have survived. Dharamshala would not have been what it is now. So for our communities.’ He admits that response from Indian govt is very cooperative and that they seek advice from the Indian govt. ‘Often times I bow down to the wishes of the Indian govt’.

Ironically the number of Tibetans visiting India has decreased dramatically to 5 from 2000-3000 in 2008, of which 2 are students. Chinese control over the borders has seen drastically reduced number of students coming from Tibet to India. From 20,000 students in 2012, the numbers have come down to 9700 in 2021. ‘My Pet Project’, a study by Tibetans registers the number of Tibetans in India, Nepal, Bhutan and in the West.

Tibetans on borders

India is concerned about Chinese villages coming up on its eastern borders. Reports say Tibetan soldiers recruited by the Chinese army are deployed at the heights and in these villages. Sikyong says, ‘by pushing more Tibetans at the borders they bring in more Chinese citizens into the cities and towns making up for money. Any height above 12000-13000 metres above sea level is not possible for the Chinese people to go and settle down which is possibly the reason that Tibetans are being pushed to the borders by China to occupy land and make villages.’ But he is sceptic too. ‘This could be more propaganda than real warfare. This involves a lot of trust. Even a small military intelligence is important forget about a war and then trusting Tibetans to fight their war, is s huge risk.’ 

Attributing a reason to China’s expansionist aspirations Tsering says, I sense a lot of insecurity in the Chinese leadership as they are the only country who spends more money on internal security then external security.’

Tibet is China's Achilles Heel. Along with it threatening Taiwan, brazenly occupying Indian territory, going against UNCLOS, killing dissent in Hong Kong and torturing Uighers, China seems to be everywhere. And this is changing the world order.

 Credits: First Post

 • By Priti Prakash, Independent Journalist, writes on Diplomacy and is a Political Observer