On August 14, amid almost general indifference, 100 Tibetan academics sent a petition to the United Nations High Commissioner to denounce the policies of cultural assimilation still taking place in Tibet, an autonomous territory controlled by China.
According to them, the Chinese government continues its policies of suppression of the Tibetan language and culture, including through the closure of schools or through indoctrination and propaganda in school curricula.
The private Tibetan-oriented school Gangiong Sherig Norbu Lobling was reportedly closed last July. According to the Tibet Action Institute, this is a continuation of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s policy of “ethnic unity”, which promotes the culture of the Han majority in the country’s minority territories.
China claims that Tibet has been an inseparable part of its territory for centuries, while control of the Himalayan region (of which Tibet is a part) was only completed after the Communist Party came to power in 1949.
Cultural genocide can occur without violence or loss of life. It is the intentional destruction of a people’s culture through the elimination of cultural practices, cultural objects or artifacts, language (written and oral), and ancestral traditions. The concept was developed by Polish jurist Raphael Lemkin in his 1944 book, which also defined the term “genocide.”
According to a June report by the NGO Human Rights Watch, China continues to coercively relocate Tibetans from rural areas to cities in the name of “poverty reduction.”
Assimilation
This forced urbanization would be a way to assimilate the population more quickly and to eliminate cultural practices that are more alive in the countryside than in the city. The aim would also be to eliminate the nomadic lifestyle of about 3 million Tibetans who live from yak herding and agriculture.
According to the New York-based human rights group, such forced displacements cause permanent damage to Tibetan culture and way of life, particularly when farmers and herders are no longer able to ply their trades and are forced to work as wage laborers in non-agricultural industries.
Of course, Chinese authorities call the relocations “voluntary,” but Human Rights Watch has reviewed more than 1,000 reports from state media and government publications that contradict these claims. Visits by government officials or threats to cut off all services to homes are reportedly frequently used to force Tibetans to leave their villages.
According to official figures, by the end of 2025, more than 930,000 Tibetans will have been displaced, sometimes in entire villages. Although these policies date back to the early 2000s, 76% of these interventions are said to have been carried out after 2016. While the repression in Tibet is no longer in the headlines, there is apparently an acceleration of assimilation policies.
India is not doing much better. According to an independent report, in June it planned to rename 30 Tibetan sites with Indian names. This is likely retaliation by New Delhi, as in March China unilaterally assigned Chinese toponyms to 30 already named places in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh in order to strengthen its territorial claims over the region.
India has historically accepted China’s hold over Tibet, in the face of Beijing’s de facto control over the region. However, India’s recent actions suggest a change in policy by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Answers
Anti-government protests in the region in 2008 led to a massive military crackdown by China, and foreigners wishing to visit Tibet now need a special visa. Journalists have great difficulty getting there, except for those from Chinese state media.
The repression suffered by the Tibetan people is nevertheless recognized by the international community. At least three motions on this subject were adopted at the UN, in 1959, 1961 and 1965, but they did not bring about any major change in Chinese policy.
A recent U.S. State Department report notes that Chinese authorities have intimidated, surveilled, and harassed Americans in Tibet and have barred many diplomats and journalists from entering. Americans of Tibetan descent also reportedly face additional scrutiny when applying for Chinese visas.
The Canadian House of Commons unanimously adopted a motion last June affirming its willingness to defend Tibet’s right to self-determination and its right to exist as a distinct nation.
The motion, brought forward by Bloc Québécois MP Alexis Brunelle-Duceppe, recognizes that the Chinese government is pursuing a generalized policy of cultural assimilation of Tibetans and specifies that China should not interfere in the selection of the next Dalai Lama.
The historic Tibet region, about 2,500,000 km2was an autonomous country from 1912 to 1951, before officially becoming a Chinese province after its annexation by the communist government, then an “autonomous region” of China in 1965.
Its official name is Xizang Autonomous Region. The official religion is Tibetan Buddhism, and the spiritual leader is the Dalai Lama. According to 2022 figures, at least 160 monks, religious figures, and ordinary Tibetans have self-immolated in protest against Chinese policies.
This text is part of a series on oppressed peoples around the world.