(TibetanReview.net, Jun28’23) – Tibetans are seeking an autonomous governance system for their homeland which would guarantee their cultural and ethnic identity but President Xi Jinping is out to Sinicize everything in pursuit of a dream of a nationhood defined by a single identity. This was the gist of the remarks by Sikyong (executive head) Mr Penpa Tsering of Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), which is effectively the Tibetan government in exile, at a seminar in New Delhi on Jun 27.
“The overall vision of Xi Jinping is to have one nation, one culture and one language at the expense of all other nationalities inside Tibet. There is no political space which is taken for granted in the free world”, he was quoted as saying at the seminar, which was organized by the Centre for China Analysis and Strategy.
Speaking on ‘China’s Tibet Policy Under Xi Jinping’, the Sikyong has said Tibet was historically an independent state but had been pursuing a Middle Way Approach proposed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader, which has been endorsed by the CTA as its core political stand.
The approach calls for meaningful autonomy for a united autonomous Tibet in return for acceptance of China’s sovereignty.
Penpa Tsering sees China’s current assertion of strength as actually a betrayal of its weakness.
“I find China very insecure today despite having all kinds of power at its disposal…China is the only nation that spends more on internal security than any other nations and that is also a reason why they are relentless in seeking persuasion of the international community to legitimize its illegal occupation of Tibet,” he has said.
Speaking on the urgency to resolve the issue of Tibet, Sikyong has said, “Culturally Tibetans are dying a slow death as China strikes at the very root of Tibetan national identity which is the Tibetan language. China attempts to change the emotional equation of the Tibetans by Sinicizing the Tibetan language.”
He has said the at least 157 protest self-immolations committed by Tibetans in Tibet since 2009 were direct results of lack of political space and pressure of extreme control.
Other topics discussed during the seminar were stated to include ‘China’s Recent Activities in Tibet’ and ‘Religion, Ethnic and Environment Policy in Tibet.’