Lhasa, September 17, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Tibetans have little trust in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) after decades of Chinese rule, with critics of Beijing pointing to restrictions on Tibetan culture, language, religious practices and access to information as factors contributing to growing alienation.
A recent article published by The Tibet Express argues that decades of Chinese Communist Party rule have failed to secure the acceptance of Tibetans and have instead deepened calls for greater Tibetan freedom. The article was written by Khedroob Thondup, a former Tibetan diplomat and parliamentarian and nephew of the 14th Dalai Lama.
Thondup wrote that the CCP entered Tibet in 1950 under the stated objective of “liberation”, with the Seventeen Point Agreement providing assurances concerning autonomy and Tibetan traditions. He argued that those assurances subsequently broke down and that Tibetans have experienced Chinese rule as coercive rather than consensual.
The article alleges that the Chinese authorities have relied on surveillance, checkpoints and digital monitoring while restricting aspects of Tibetan cultural and religious life. It also points to concerns over the declining use of the Tibetan language and the education of Tibetan children in Mandarin-language boarding schools.
According to the article, authorities have also conducted raids at monasteries, arrested monks and restricted the display of images of the Dalai Lama. Thondup argues that such measures have contributed to alienation rather than building public confidence in Chinese rule.
He further contended that, if Tibetans were ever given the opportunity to vote freely in a referendum, they would favour secession. That is his assessment and does not represent an independently conducted referendum or polling result.
The article comes amid renewed scrutiny of restrictions on independent reporting from Tibet following the devastating floods that struck the region and neighbouring Nepal on August 26.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has said that no independent Tibetan media outlet or international news organisation had been granted access to the disaster-affected area. The organisation described the restrictions as part of what it characterised as longstanding tight controls on journalists operating in Tibet.
RSF said Chinese authorities had authorised state media to cover the floods, with coverage focusing on relief efforts and official responses. It said the restrictions made it difficult to independently assess the full scale and impact of the disaster.
Aleksandra Bielakowska, Head of Advocacy at RSF Asia-Pacific, described Tibet as a “de facto information black hole” and said restrictions on independent reporting made it difficult to assess the scale of the tragedy.
The August 26 disaster sent a sudden surge of water into Nepal’s Bhote Koshi River from the Tibet side of the border. Nepalese authorities and humanitarian organisations have said the exact mechanism that triggered the flood remains under investigation, with an upstream ice avalanche or related high-altitude outburst event among the suspected causes.
The flooding caused extensive damage across Nepal’s Rasuwa district and along the Bhote Koshi-Trishuli river system. The disaster has also raised concerns over the availability of timely and independent information from the affected Tibetan areas.
The contrasting narratives over conditions in Tibet and access to information continue to reflect the broader dispute surrounding Beijing’s governance of the region and the Tibetan exile community’s longstanding demands concerning political and cultural rights.
FOLLOW NOW
