Tibetan Government-in-Exile condemns Chinese atrocities on 35th anniversary of Dalai Lama’s conferment of Nobel Peace prize

On the 35th anniversary of the Dalai Lama’s conferment of the Nobel Peace Prize, the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, through the Kashag, the highest executive office of the Central Tibetan Administration, strongly condemned the Chinese government’s ongoing atrocities in Tibet. The Kashag emphasised the vital role of the Dalai Lama in safeguarding Tibetan culture, religion, and identity, asserting that the Chinese government’s policies were systematically eroding these fundamental aspects of Tibetan life.

The Kashag highlighted the alarming consequences of China’s policies, which aimed to forcibly assimilate Tibetans into the broader Han Chinese culture. According to the Kashag, by imposing Chinese as the primary language of instruction and forcibly placing Tibetan children into colonial-style boarding schools, the Chinese government seeks to sever Tibetans from their linguistic, cultural, and spiritual roots. These schools replace traditional Tibetan education with communist ideology, military training, and a heavy emphasis on loyalty to the Chinese state, thus undermining Tibet’s rich cultural heritage.

In addition to the cultural assault, China’s control over Tibetan monastic institutions is an increasingly grave concern. The Kashag stated that the Chinese government had imposed politically motivated regulations on Tibetan Buddhism, including the regulation of the reincarnation of lamas, furthering its policy of Sinicization. This relentless interference is undermining the spiritual and cultural foundations of Tibetan Buddhism, threatening the preservation of one of the world’s great spiritual traditions.

The Kashag also expressed deep concern over China’s exploitation of Tibet’s natural resources, particularly through the construction of hydropower dams and large-scale infrastructure projects. The Kashag reaffirmed its commitment to non-violence and peaceful resistance in the face of ongoing repression in Tibet. It drew attention to the international community’s growing concern over human rights abuses in Tibet, as reflected in statements from the European Union, the United Nations, and the G-7 nations. The Kashag urged continued global support for the Tibetan cause and called for greater international pressure on China to respect Tibetans’ fundamental human rights and preserve Tibet’s unique cultural and environmental heritage.