In a sweeping move indicative of its ongoing suppression of Tibetan culture, Chinese authorities have targeted private educational institutions in Eastern Tibet. July 2024 saw the closure of the Jigme Gyaltsen Vocational High School in Qinghai province, an institution with a three-decade legacy of teaching Tibetan language and culture alongside Chinese national curriculum. Its sudden shuttering sparked alarm among local Tibetans, many of whom relied on it for learning their heritage and preparing for modern careers.
Adding to the distress, December 2024 reports from exile media revealed the mysterious disappearance of Humkar Dorje Rinpoche, a respected lama and founder of another vocational school. He had been missing for a month, most likely taken by police, following the detention of another prominent educator, Khenpo Tenpa Dargye, and his followers earlier in the year. The troubling fate of community leader Gonpo Namgyal, who died shortly after his release from custody, underscored the climate of fear.
Since 2021, at least five vocational schools have been closed in a seemingly arbitrary fashion, while Tibetan children are increasingly funneled into state schools where instruction is solely in Chinese. This policy extends even to pre-primary education, effectively sidelining the Tibetan language. Although Tibetan is still taught, it is relegated to fit a foreign-language model, violating the rights guaranteed by both the Chinese Constitution and international treaties.
Furthermore, state schools have intensified their focus on political indoctrination, with reports indicating military training as part of the curriculum. In January 2023, four UN special rapporteurs voiced grave concerns about these language policies, yet the Chinese government has remained silent, hinting at a stark disregard for Tibetan rights.
Chinese authorities continue their suppression of Tibetan culture by closing private educational institutions, including the renowned Jigme Gyaltsen Vocational High School. This action, part of a broader strategy, is causing alarm among Tibetans while raising concerns about forced assimilation in state schools. Recent disappearances of local educators amplify fears of political repression, as UN officials express distress over the situation.
The Chinese government’s crackdown on Tibetan language education represents a worrying trend of cultural suppression. The closure of long-standing educational institutions, coupled with the forced assimilation policies in state schools, has raised significant concerns among the Tibetan community and international observers. Voices of dissent are growing, reflecting a call for the preservation of Tibetan heritage against a backdrop of increasing governmental control.
Original Source: www.hrw.org
