US Congressional report exposes China’s “systematic repression” of Tibet’s culture, religion

The US Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) has released its annual report, detailing ongoing human rights abuses in Tibet under Chinese government rule.

The report highlights the continued repression of Tibetan religious, cultural and ethnic rights, focusing on severe restrictions on Tibetan Buddhism, the disproportionate targeting of Tibetans in political detention, and the role of transnational corporations in facilitating Chinese state repression.

The CECC report highlights a persistent crackdown on Tibetan religious practices, particularly Tibetan Buddhism, in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) and other Tibetan-inhabited areas.

Chinese authorities maintain strict restrictions on Tibetan religious ceremonies and limit access to monasteries, especially during important cultural and religious events. Despite calls for talks, Chinese officials have shown little interest in resuming talks with the Dalai Lama, the exiled spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, with the last round of talks held in January 2010.

The report also points to systematic efforts by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to impose its “Sinicization” policy on Tibet, aimed at restricting Tibetan cultural expression and replacing Tibetan Buddhist practices with state-controlled versions of the religion .

This includes the forced relocation of monks from monasteries due to the planned hydropower project, such as the monks of Atshog Monastery in Dragkar (Xinghai) County, as well as the creation of residential boarding schools that undermine the intergenerational transmission of Tibetan culture and language. ,

The CECC report highlights the disproportionate targeting of Tibetans in the Chinese state’s political repression, with Tibetans making up a significant portion of political prisoners in China. Of the 2,764 political prisoners in the CECC’s database, 1,686 are detained for reasons related to their religious or cultural affiliations.

Tibetan Buddhists represent the largest religious group in this database, with 678 detainees affiliated with Tibetan Buddhism. This reflects the Chinese government’s ongoing effort to eliminate Tibetan religious and cultural identity.

The report further states that of the 1,693 people in active detention with available ethnic information, about half, 790, are ethnically Tibetan. This disproportionate number of Tibetan detainees highlights the continuing ethnic and cultural oppression faced by the Tibetan people under Chinese rule.

The CECC report also highlights the role of US and foreign corporations in fueling China’s human rights abuses. One of the key points raised in the report is the involvement of Thermo Fisher Scientific, whose DNA sequencers were reportedly used by Chinese police in Tibet and Xinjiang to compile extensive DNA databases of Tibetans and Uyghurs. The Commission expressed concern that this technology could potentially be used for organ harvesting, an accusation the Chinese government has long leveled, particularly in relation to Uyghur Muslims.

The CECC warns that the involvement of international companies in such human rights violations could inadvertently contribute to China’s broader campaign of surveillance, control, and repression of ethnic and religious minorities.

The report draws attention to large-scale protests that broke out in Tibet’s Derge County in February 2024 in response to a planned hydropower dam on the Drichhu (Jinsha) River. Locals fear the dam will flood villages and monasteries, including the historic Wonto 1 Monastery, known for its well-preserved 13th-century murals.

The report also condemned the Chinese government’s displacement plans in Derz and other Tibetan areas, emphasizing the lack of meaningful community participation in these decisions. These forced relocations and destruction of Tibetan sacred sites exemplify a broader trend of environmental and cultural destruction in Tibet as Chinese authorities pursue infrastructure projects, including several hydroelectric dams.

Another important finding in the CECC report is the Chinese government’s continued efforts to replace the Tibetan language with Mandarin Chinese in the region.

Officials have increasingly adopted the Mandarin term “Xizang” for Tibet in English-language communications, part of a broader strategy to reshape the narrative surrounding Tibet’s status and history in the global discussion. The report argues that the move is part of the CCP’s strategy to consolidate its sovereignty over Tibet and erase Tibetan cultural and linguistic identity.

The CECC’s 2024 report paints a dismal picture of the ongoing repression of Tibetans by the Chinese government. It not only documents severe restrictions on Tibetan religious practices and cultural rights, but also exposes the complicity of international corporations in perpetrating Chinese human rights abuses. The report also outlines the disproportionate targeting of Tibetans in political detention and a broader effort by the Chinese state to erase Tibetan cultural and religious identity.

The report’s findings underline the urgent need for global attention and action to protect Tibet’s unique cultural heritage and the rights of its people.