Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has implemented President Xi Jinping’s philosophy of “Tibetan Buddhism with Socialist Character”.
The banned activities and practices range from visits to Tibetan temple, ‘Kora’ (circumambulation) at a temple or a Stupa, and holding a rosary or ‘Mani’ (Tibetan prayer wheel), according to Policy Research Group’s (PRG) Strategic Insight. Further, conducting prayers at the family altar in Tibet and using digital prayer beads or listening to prayers on mobile phones is strictly banned. Earlier, China released the “Code of Conduct for Communist Party members in the Tibetan Autonomous Region for Not Believing in Religion,” which lists a host of dos and don’ts for the officials.
Sonam Tsering, General Secretary of Tibetan Youth Congress, (TYC) said that restrictions on Tibetans are not proper. “The fact that the CCP has to issue a code of conduct to stop the Communist cadres and Tibetan officials from practising religion proves that they have failed to wipe out the Tibetan identity and the influence of Buddhism from their hearts despite seven decades of colonial rule over Tibet”, Sonam Tsering said, adding that this in itself is enough to prove that “Tibetan people have refused to accept the rule and dominance of China,” he said.
Earlier, the Chinese authorities in Lhasa have banned the teaching of Tibetan language in the schools to implement President Xi’s idea of ‘Tibetan Buddhism with Socialist Character’,
Further, China has stopped the Tibetan medium at school levels and made Mandarin the only language of instruction. Now the latest diktat bans the teaching of basic Tibetan in private Tibetan schools, which are run with public efforts during non-school hours or during winter holidays according to PRG’s Strategic Insight.
Further, the 11th People’s Congress of Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) in 2020 adopted new regulations for Tibet which oblige the controlling authorities of Tibet to establish “model areas for national unity and progress” in TAR.
Meanwhile, in his unannounced visit to Tibet in July, President Xi Jinping instructed the Communist cadres and officials to promote Tibetan Buddhism with socialist character.
Meanwhile, these regulations give special powers to the Chinese bosses in Tibet to impose a China-centric life on Tibetan people.