China's growing interference in Tibet has overshadowed Tibetan folklore and religion, as well as its expression and local culture.
The Chinese government's intervention in Tibet, led by Xi Jinping, has been steadily increasing. The Chinese government has ordered Tibetan families who have benefited from government assistance to remove images of the Dalai Lama and other spiritual leaders from their homes and replace them with Xi Jinping. Communist Party of China (CPC) officials in Tibet have been sentenced to life in prison. The Regional Discipline Commission has set up an office in 2018 to check whether the party's disciplinary rules are being followed. As many as 215 persons have been reported to have violated the party's policies till October 2018. The aim is to forcibly establish the supreme power of the CPC and reduce the influence of spiritual as well as religious beliefs, especially the Dalai Lama.
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2019 is a very important year in the Tibetan calendar. The People's Liberation Army (PLA) celebrated the 60th anniversary of Tibet's peaceful independence in March 2019, and the 11th anniversary of the anti-government uprising in Lhasa in 2018. So it should come as no surprise that the Chinese government has banned foreign tourists from entering Tibet since January 2019.
Tourists need to get special permission along with Chinese visa if they want to visit Tibet. It is also difficult for foreign journalists to reach Tibet, so it is more difficult for journalists to get information there. Beijing has always used such means to exert additional power.
Another reason for the spread of discontent and unrest in Tibet is the growing influx of Han Chinese in Tibet. The number of Han Chinese in Tibet has multiplied in the last 60 years. According to some, there are more Han Chinese in Tibet than Tibetans. In 2008, there was an outpouring of resentment against the growing Han Chinese population. But since the 2008 violence, the Chinese government has been investing heavily in peacekeeping and increasing its military presence. The Tibetan people today are under constant surveillance. Therefore, the Tibetan people have adopted the path of self-sacrifice to oppose Chinese rule. Between 2009 and 2018, 155 people committed suicide in Tibet.
The government is forcing the teaching of Chinese, which is affecting the language skills and culture of children in Tibet. According to the report, the Chinese government is setting up three re-education camps in Tibet (similar to those set up in Shijiang). Expenditure on internal security in Tibet increased by 404 per cent between 2007 and 2016, giving an idea of how much insecurity China has to face there.
On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of Tibet's independence, China published a white paper entitled "Improving Democracy in Tibet." The main purpose behind publishing this White Paper was to dispel the allegation that the independence gained by the PLA was instrumental in establishing democratic reform in Tibet by destroying the God-fearing feudal state.
Going forward to strengthen its position, the Chinese government released data confirming this claim, emphasizing infrastructure, agriculture, tourism, education and per capita income. Through these data, the CPC wanted to show how much the CPC has geographically transformed Tibet and how this change is helping citizens enjoy a higher standard of living. Explaining the reason behind the Chinese government's investment in Tibet, it is also argued that China wants to maintain peace in Tibet after the Dalai Lama. The recently published White Paper is different from the 2009 White Paper and appears to have played a different role. In the 2009 White Paper, the Dalai Lama said that if he played a patriotic role, he would have a chance to return to Beijing.
The important question of whether the Dalai Lama will be reincarnated has been on everyone's mind since last week. This is the main point of contention between Beijing and the current 14th Dalai Lama. The funny part of this argument is that the current Dalai Lama has claimed that perhaps his next incarnation will be in India, which has angered China. More amusingly, Beijing has reacted by saying that the incarnation should "follow China's rules and laws."
It is even more astonishing that they do not accept that our insistence that the CPC should follow the rules laid down by the development and changes in the field of spirituality is irrational. This problem could be further complicated if two such incarnations are found in India and one in China in the future.
But, Tibet is much more than just data, this question needs more attention. The Chinese government needs to go beyond Tibet, a piece of land and a strategically important place, to recognize the essence of Tibet. China needs control over Tibet for its resources and strategic location in terms of war. But, they also need to give equal rights to Tibetan citizens. They have failed to recognize that Tibet is not just a resource, it is a way of life, a belief in cultural and spiritual strength. The Chinese government is building more and more infrastructure, but they are not ready to connect the wires to the hearts of the citizens. Citizens will become more and more anti-government if deliberate repression is used. So this huge investment will not benefit CPC at all.
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