“Learned and educated Tibetans continue to be targeted by Chinese government”: Tibetan activist

The 17th Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy was held at the Centre International de Conferences Geneve (CICG) in Geneva on February 18. This summit served as a crucial platform for highlighting human rights violations, challenging authoritarian regimes, and fostering democratic changes.

Speaking at the sidelines of the Summit, Tibetan activist Namkyi accused Chinese government of targeting many learned and educated Tibetans for promoting their religion, education and language. She highlighted that Tibetans are resisting China’s crackdown on Tibetan language, religion and culture and they remain united in preserving the Tibetan language, religion and culture despite various repressive policies that the Chinese government has employed in Tibet.

“Many learned and educated Tibetans continue to be targeted by the Chinese government for promoting their religion, education and language,” she said.

Namkyi reiterated that even going through political re-education, against their wishes, and imprisonment, Tibetans stand in unity in the belief that whatever happens, they continue to preserve and promote the Tibetan language, religion and culture.

During her speech at the Summit, Namkyi highlighted the brutal conditions at Sichuan Province Women’s Prison, where she endured compulsory military training and was compelled to learn about Chinese laws and “patriotic education.”

According to the Central Tibet Administration (CTA), Tibetan detainees experienced racial bias, as they were prohibited from communicating with one another. The prison conditions were characterized by severe malnutrition, insufficient medical treatment, and exposure to extremely cold temperatures. Furthermore, inmates were compelled to work, with Namkyi tasked with assembling copper wires under harsh artificial lighting, which resulted in lasting damage to her eyesight, as noted by the CTA.

Tibet, once an independent nation with a distinct cultural, religious, and political identity, was invaded by China in 1949. The 17-point agreement, signed under coercion in 1951, allowed China to impose its rule, stripping Tibet of its autonomy. On March 10, 1959, a massive uprising against Chinese occupation in Tibet was violently suppressed, forcing the Dalai Lama to flee into exile and marking the beginning of Tibet’s struggle from abroad.