TCHRD’s 2019 Annual Report highlights China’s growing intolerance for political dissent

By Choekyi Lhamo

DHARAMSHALA, June 17: The Dharamshala-based human rights group, Tibetans Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) released its 2019 annual report on the human rights situation in Tibet on Tuesday. The report detailed accounts of unfair trials, the crackdown on online ‘illegal’ activities, enforced use of bilingual education policy, information blackout, and attempts to “sinicize Buddhism in the new era”.

Tsering Tsomo, Director of TCHRD, told Phayul, “China is using its economic and diplomatic clout to block any criticism of its egregious human rights records in Tibet.” She further said that her organisation has the odds stacked against them when it comes to compiling a report based on issues inside Tibet. “It is difficult to keep regular contacts with sources of information inside Tibet owing to China’s censorship and surveillance policy.”

The 52-page documented report rigorously cited accounts of anti-crime campaign violations which systematically show that loyalty to the Dalai Lama, environmental activism, language preservation, and other informal group activities are potentially dangerous to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Under the campaign in 2018, TAR had reported 360 accused in 268 cases for “inciting separatism”.

Micro messaging app WeChat groups and individual online users posting “illegal content” would be imprisoned for 8 years. Local authorities in Qinghai arrested 333 criminal suspects and public prosecution was initiated against 408 people in the province. In another instance in Feb 2019, the government issued a notice which promised cash prizes up to 300,000 yuan for reporting any illegal online activities.

The report cited China’s bilingual education policy which hinders the learning of Tibetan language and prioritizes Chinese mandarin in schools and universities. It also said that the Chinese government criminalizes all Tibetan cultural experiences including children’s participation in religious practices. A million Chinese youth were sent to volunteer in ethnic minority areas to “spread civilisation”. In Mar 2019, Communist Youth League (CYL) announced that more than 10 million vocational students are scheduled to be sent to Tibet for volunteer work.

The rights of privacy in relation to online security issues were also raised in the report. The guidelines are aimed to safeguard the “unity of the country” and state security. Information blackout in TAR and other Tibetan areas are frequent as access to Tibet has become more difficult. The Reciprocal Access to Tibet Act (RATA) which was passed in the US Congress in 2018 has proved inconsequential as Chinese authorities continue to evade proper access to Tibet.

By Nov 2019, 17 “Rural Youth Palaces” were announced for promoting Xi Jinping thought which targeted more than 3200 students in Kardze County. A campaign like “Four Emphases and Four Loves” was incorporated into the Amdo County’s educational system in 2018. “These kinds of programs are designed to promote political indoctrination campaigns among the Tibetans and to eliminate dissent in Tibet,” remarked Tsering Tsomo.

Issues of freedom of peaceful assembly, right to a fair trial, harassment of defense lawyers are amongst the many pressing concerns raised in the report. Detention of anti-corruption activist A-nya Sengdra along with 8 other detainees, self-immolation by Yonten in Nov last year, detainment of pro-independence protests is cited in the report to argue against Chinese rule of law and its systematic discrimination against Tibetans.

TCHRD’s Director said that China might brush off its atrocities in the post-COVID-19 era, “The current pandemic has provided the perfect cover for Chinese authorities in Tibet to escalate repression and hide it from the world . . . The repression has always been severe in Tibet and the pandemic will allow authorities to brush off these abuses on the pretext of pandemic fighting measures.”