Thread by @andreasmoun

Worst Autocratic government in the world: #CCP

The most basic and fundamental human rights enshrined in the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights are denied to #Tibetans in Tibet since its illegal occupation by #China in 1950.

Any single act or mere opinion not to the liking of the Chinese government can be met with severe consequences and punishment. Tibetans are also denied their rights to self-determination, a rule of customary international law.

Until the grave human rights abuses in Tibet are addressed, the Chinese government’s claim to be a rightful ruling government of Tibet remains illegitimate.

The truth of Chinese rule in Tibet is that, despite strong arm-twisting and economic and financial inducements, the Tibetan people remain unflinchingly loyal to His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Chinese government suppresses any expression of opinion that they deem unfavourable to the Communist party. Peaceful protestors, whether en masse or solo, are subjected to detention, enforced disappearance, arrest, torture and imprisonment.

One of the results of this oppression is that some Tibetans have turned to drastic measures to make themselves heard. In 2009, a wave of self-immolation protests began in Tibet and continues today.

At least 156 Tibetans inside Tibet have burned themselves alive in protest against Chinese rule in Tibet. Ran Yunfei, one of China’s most outspoken public intellectuals, stated in an interview in New York Review of Books, ‘The communists really destroyed religion.

They don’t understand it at all. Look at Tibet. I told guobao (State Security agents) that, you guys have gone too far. You don’t allow them to hang the pictures of the Dalai Lama. You don’t have faith so you don’t understand.

So the Tibetans get very angry and depressed. You have gone overboard! This isn’t right. Think about it. No wonder they set themselves on fire.’

The Chinese government’s heavy-handed policies in Tibet continue despite the Tibetan people’s repeated show of defiance, and demand for rights over these many decades. China’s repressive policies worsened in many ways during Chinese Presiden Xi Jinping’s rule.

In flagrant violation of Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, China has strengthened its series of regulations restricting the free movement of Tibetans within their own country.

Tibetans have to be registered at a particular place and are entitled to reside and buy food rations only at that particular place. Going from one place to another for any purpose, even for a short duration, requires official permission.

The People’s Armed Police (PAP) and local public security bureaus have set up roadblocks and checkpoints on major roads and monasteries within and on the outskirts of cities.

At these checkpoints, Tibetans are thoroughly searched for anything deemed ‘illegal’ such as images of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan national flag etc.

At the Lhasa Railway station, it is mandatory for Tibetans to undergo severely restrictive entry requirements.

Tibetan passengers are taken to the police station where each of them is required to present a local guarantor, a practice that is not applied to non-Tibetan travellers, who can travel freely from the train station to their desired destinations.

In some cases, Tibetans are required to obtain special permission from multiple government offices in order to travel to and from TAR. Many Tibetans report encountering obstacles to obtaining such permits.

This makes difficult for Tibetans to make pilgrimages to sacred religious sites in Tibet Autonomous Region.

In addition, Tibetans from outside the TAR, who travelled to Lhasa, also reported that Chinese authorities required them to surrender their national identification cards and notify authorities of their plans in detail on a daily basis.

After pilgrimage to the Potala Palace in Lhasa, an unnamed person described his experience, saying, there are more surveillance cameras than windows and more soldiers than lamas.

The atrocities by China on the Tibetan people are innumerable. Since 2007, Chinese authorities are also actively interfering in the spiritual life of Tibetans including the appointment of Tibetan spiritual leaders.

They are also forcing innocent Tibetans to place the pictures of Chinese leaders including Xi on their altar. The dictatorial regime of the Chinese government is only alive because of its merciless army and the heartless public security bureau.

No matter how long the Chinese leadership act blind and deaf to the Tibetan cause, they should eventually think deeply about their misdeeds in Tibet.

People all over the world should organise various activities to shame the Chinese leadership and make them realise the crimes committed in Tibet.