Tsering Dhundup
DHARAMSHALA, Mar. 11: As Tibetans and supporters of the Tibetan cause worldwide commemorated the 66th anniversary of the 1959 uprising in Tibet on Monday, Human Rights Watch (HRW)called for increased international support for Tibetans in exile.
In a statement released on March 9, Maya Wang, Associate China Director at Human Rights Watch, highlighted the worsening conditions for Tibetans under President Xi Jinping’s policies of forced assimilation targeting non-Han peoples in China.
“After nearly 70 years of repressive Chinese state rule, government policies that seek to forcibly assimilate non-Han peoples in China under President Xi Jinping represent an alarming turn for the worse for Tibetans,” Wang stated.
The human rights organisation warned that while China’s abuses against Uyghurs and Turkic Muslims in East Turkestan have received global attention, the increasingly severe repression of Tibetans has gone relatively unnoticed due to what Wang described as “ever more intrusive and watertight policing, surveillance, and censorship in Tibetan areas.”
According to HRW, Tibet now faces a complete absence of independent civil society and fundamental freedoms of expression, association, assembly, and religion. The statement detailed how Chinese authorities have used national policing campaigns such as the “anti-gang crime crackdown” and “anti-fraud” crackdown to systematically dismantle remaining Tibetan civil society institutions.
These measures have reportedly included shutting down Tibetan-language websites, closing privately funded schools, and imposing strict controls on daily life. Wang noted that Tibetans are being forced to use Mandarin Chinese in schools, relocate from traditional villages to government settlements, and witness environmental exploitation with no recourse.
“Any questioning of government policies, however mild, can result in arbitrary detention, enforced disappearance, torture, and long-term imprisonment,” the statement warned.
The organisation also pointed out that escape routes previously used by Tibetans fleeing across the Himalayas following the 1959 uprising have been effectively closed since 2008 through increased border policing, while passport restrictions implemented in 2012 have further limited movement. Even contacting relatives abroad has reportedly become dangerous for Tibetans.
With the Dalai Lama now 89 years old, Human Rights Watch expressed concern about the Chinese government’s intentions to interfere in the selection of his successor. Additionally, the organisation highlighted challenges facing Tibetan exile communities, including uncertainty around U.S. foreign aid and Chinese government pressure on Tibetans in countries like Nepal and in Western nations.
Wang concluded by urging governments that support Tibetan human rights to “step up their assistance to Tibetan groups worldwide that document rights and report on abuses in Tibet, advocate in international forums, and seek to preserve Tibetan identity and culture.”
