Overview
This episode of China Uncensored reviews the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) efforts to control Tibet, exploring historical claims, cultural repression, propaganda, and ongoing issues regarding Tibetan autonomy and leadership succession.
Chinese Government Propaganda and Control in Tibet
- The CCP is promoting a costly play in Lhasa to depict a harmonious history between China and Tibet.
- The performance occurs near the real Potala Palace, under heavy surveillance and military lockdown.
- The play is part of ongoing propaganda efforts to downplay repression and past violence.
Human Rights and Cultural Suppression
- Tibetans continue to experience disappearances, torture, arbitrary arrests, and cultural genocide.
- Since 2009, over 100 Tibetans have self-immolated in protest of CCP rule.
- The CCP restricts Tibetan language in education and encourages Han and Hui immigration to dilute Tibetan identity.
- The number of Tibetan monasteries fell from over 6,000 pre-communist rule to just 8 by 1976.
- Many religious sites and texts have been destroyed.
Historical Context and Chinese Claims
- The CCP claims Tibet has been part of China since the Yuan dynasty, but historical records show varying degrees of autonomy.
- After the fall of the Yuan and Qing dynasties, Tibet enjoyed periods of independence until the CCP takeover in 1950.
- Official accounts of deaths under CCP rule in Tibet vary from 400,000 to 1.2 million.
The Dalai Lama, Panchen Lama, and Succession Issues
- The Dalai Lama has been in exile since 1959; the Panchen Lama, number two in Tibetan Buddhism, died mysteriously in 1989 after criticizing the CCP.
- The CCP named their own Panchen Lama after abducting the boy recognized by the Dalai Lama.
- The regime promotes its chosen Panchen Lama as legitimate, while the true Panchen Lama remains missing.
CCP Manipulation of Religious Succession
- The CCP aims to control the future selection of the Dalai Lama by controlling the Panchen Lama and banning reincarnation without state approval.
- This legal maneuver is intended to ensure the next Dalai Lama aligns with CCP interests.
Ongoing International and Exile Dynamics
- The Tibetan government-in-exile operates from Dharamshala, India, and the Dalai Lama seeks global support.
- China threatens countries with punitive measures, such as withdrawing panda loans, for engaging with the Dalai Lama.
Questions / Follow-Ups
- What will happen to Tibetan culture and autonomy under ongoing CCP control?
- How will Tibetans and the international community respond to future leadership disputes?