– By Rezaul H Laskar for Hindustan Times, 11 June 2026 

The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) will focus on seeking a peaceful resolution to the “Sino-Tibet conflict”, looking after the welfare of the Tibetan diaspora in India and other countries, and adopting technology to improve governance, Penpa Tsering, the Sikyong or head of the administration, has said as he begins his second term.

Tsering, who was sworn in on May 27 after being re-elected as Sikyong, told HT in an exclusive interview that the Tibetan leadership still has back channel contacts with China and these will continue though the communications are “inconsequential right now”. He also spoke about engaging the world community to focus on the “middle way” of greater autonomy for Tibet.

What are your priorities and focus areas for your second term as Sikyong?

We have three main tasks for the next five years. One, try to seek a resolution to the Sino-Tibet conflict. If you look at the policies of the communist dispensation in Beijing, it doesn’t look like there is much space. We do have some back channels which we always mention but nothing consequential. Till a sensible leadership comes to Beijing and resolves the Sino-Tibet conflict in a non-violent way that will be lasting, we have to reach out to the international community. We’ve been speaking about the middle way, trying to find genuine autonomy between the historical status of Tibet as an independent state and today’s occupied Tibet under the repressive communist government. A genuine autonomy, because Tibet is already called Tibet Autonomous Region. We have to seek recognition for the historical status of Tibet as an independent state, so that China may be forced to negotiate with us, to gain value and leverage for the middle way.

Two, unlike other exiled communities, we have to look after the welfare of Tibetan communities in India and Nepal, and make sure the unity of Tibetans spread across more than 28 countries remains intact. We have to finish a lot of infrastructural work, mainly public infrastructure, schools, hospitals and governance offices. That will be one more step towards greater sustainability of the Tibetan movement. We will take care of the poor, destitute and old – this is the [Dalai Lama’s] advice – and build leadership within the younger generations of Tibetans. We will continue to try to bring vibrancy into the compact communities, the “small Tibets”, in different states in India. That will add to the sustainability of the movement in the long term.

Three, to do all this we have to increase the efficiency of the Central Tibetan Administration in Dharamsala and our offices wherever there are Tibetan communities in the diaspora. We have moved towards e-governance suitable for our conditions. Now we will move towards AI-aided governance. We have never lagged behind in using technology, we will be moving towards those tools to achieve these ends.

What is the status of back channel contacts with China?

It continues and everybody claims this is an important channel and that when the right time comes, it will be useful. They [Chinese] don’t want us even to say the back channels are going on, that’s the Chinese way of doing things. But we can’t lie about it. If we are asked questions, I cannot lie about it.

[The back channel] is active unless they want to stop. We have no intention to stop. But as I keep saying, it’s inconsequential right now because of the atmosphere…in China. At present, unless the top leadership decides something, the mid-level and bottom level hesitate to do anything. Because at this point of time, nobody knows whether they are going to get praised or get whipped for what they do. There is some level of inertia in the bureaucracy, which will harm the Chinese administration also.

Your second term starts at a time when the US administration is looking to rebalance ties with China, and India and China are trying to reset their ties after the problems in Galwan Valley. Have these developments affected the issue of Tibet?

As we approach global politics, we have not seen much visible change. I think any side that’s engaging with other side primarily as an adversary, always looks for leverage and issues that can be of benefit in the process of putting their interest first. So we may be one too in the process. Both India and the US are democratic, free countries, unlike China, which is autocratic. That is the basic difference. If there has to be genuine progress, then there has to be trust, either between leaders or nations. Without trust, it’s very difficult to carry forward in the longer term. Because of the evolving global political and economic situations, countries may have to resort to strategic approaches that meet their interests in the immediate term. Continue reading…

Anya Sengdra, a well-known Tibetan environmental defender and anti-corruption whistleblower, was released from Mianyang Prison on February 7, 2026. However, sources close to him recently told the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) that the government continues to restrict his movements, search his phone and subject him to arbitrary interrogations. He is also not allowed to seek medical treatment without government permission.

Sengdra is currently suffering from kidney disease, vision loss and high blood pressure. Despite his serious medical conditions, he is required to obtain government permission before receiving any hospital treatment. Although he and his family have requested permission many times, he has only been allowed to visit a local hospital once since his release. A relative told ICT that his medical condition has not improved.

The Chinese government is not only restricting Sengdra’s movements; they have been wiretapping and searching the phones of his close family members and relatives. Associates of Sengdra have been warned not to speak about his situation.

One source told ICT that a photo of him was circulated online soon after his release from prison. Using this as a pretext, authorities accused Sengdra of “contacting separatist and criminal groups.” As a result, he was once again summoned to the local police station for interrogation, his phone was forcibly seized and searched and he was made to sign a written pledge to cut off outside contact. The authorities’ surveillance of him has been significantly intensified since then

Arrest and legal proceedings

ICT previously reported on the CCP’s repression of Sengdra even as he was released from prison. He is a 55-year-old Tibetan nomad who became a respected community leader by fighting to protect Tibet’s environment and expose local government corruption. In 2014, he co-founded Mangdon Ling (“Public Affairs Forum”), through which he campaigned against illegal mining, wildlife poaching, and the misuse of public funds, including the misappropriation of 18 million yuan meant for nomad housing. That same year, he was arrested and sentenced to one year and three months in prison. After his release in 2016, he was re-arrested in 2018 on politically motivated charges of “provoking troubles” and sentenced to seven years in prison in 2019.

During his detention, Sengdra was beaten and denied legal counsel, and he did not receive adequate medical care despite suffering from high blood pressure. His original release date of September 3, 2025, was arbitrarily extended to February 7, 2026, with no transparent judicial process. His case drew significant international attention including calls from three UN Special Rapporteurs for information on his condition and an urgent resolution by the International Federation for Human Rights demanding his immediate release. Click here to read the original report on ICT.

Congressman Jim McGovern for the Second District of Massachusetts

The United States House of Representatives

Washington, May 26, 2026

Tags: Foreign Policy , Human Rights

Today, U.S. Representatives James P. McGovern (MA-02) and Michael McCaul (TX-10) introduced legislation to strengthen the United States’s commitment to the aspirations of the Tibetan people for human rights and dignity. The ‘‘Assuring the Future of Tibet Act of 2026” would empower the U.S. government to continue its engagement with the Central Tibetan Administration after the 14^th Dalai Lama has passed.

“Congress has a long-standing abiding interest in resolving the dispute between Tibet and China,” said Congressman McGovern. “Sadly, the Dalai Lama won’t be with us forever. We must ensure that the U.S. government has the authority and the tools to continue its advocacy for the fundamental human rights of the Tibetan people. Essential to this effort, we must support the Central Tibetan Administration as the legitimate, democratically elected representative of the Tibetan people.

“Decades after the Dalai Lama and his people fled the Chinese Communist Party’s persecution on a perilous journey to India, the CCP continues to threaten Tibetans’ faith and freedom,” said Congressman McCaul. “As I promised his Holiness when I visited Dharamshala, the United States will always with stand Tibetans in their pursuit of self-determination. I’m proud to support this important bill to permanently cement our commitment to the Tibetan people and guarantee unbreakable ties with their democratic leadership.”

The legislation:

• Makes it U.S. policy to maintain engagement with the Tibetan people directly and through their democratically elected leadership and religious and cultural leaders;
• States that that the Central Tibetan Administration represents continuity of governance of the Tibetan people as established by the Dalai Lama;
• Supports the Tibetan people’s free exercise of their fundamental and universal human rights under international law, including the right to self-determination; and
• Affirms commitment to a resolution of the dispute between Tibet and China as a matter of strategic interest to the United States.

To carry out its objectives, the legislation directs the U.S. government to:

• Advocate for the Central Tibetan Administration to be given observer status within the United Nations system and in relevant international bodies and groupings;
• Grant officials of the Central Tibetan Administration with appropriate senior levels of engagement and diplomatic courtesies by the U.S. government, possibly to include the extension of diplomatic security and privileges and immunities.

The full text of the legislation can be found here.

DHARAMSHALA, May 25: United States Congressman Jim McGovern and Michael McCaul introduced a new bipartisan bill in the U.S. House of Representatives, directing the U.S. Secretary of State to advocate for the inclusion and recognition of the Tibetan government in exile, known officially as the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA).

The proposed legislation, introduced on May 21 under the title “H.R. 8982 — To direct the Secretary of State to advocate for the inclusion and recognition of the Central Tibetan Administration, and for other purposes,” has been referred to the House Foreign Affairs Committee for review.

The bill was introduced by McCaul, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and McGovern, a long-time congressional advocate for Tibet and sponsor of several Tibet-related legislations. While the full text of the bill has not yet been publicly released, available information indicates that the legislation calls on the U.S. State Department to elevate official recognition and engagement with the CTA.

Under the U.S. legislative process, the bill will first undergo examination by the House Foreign Affairs Committee, where lawmakers may review its provisions, hold discussions, and recommend amendments. If approved by the committee, the legislation will proceed to the full House of Representatives for debate and voting.

Should the bill secure passage in the House, it would then move to the United States Senate for a similar process of committee review, debate, and voting. The legislation would become law only after being passed by both chambers of Congress and signed by the President of the United States.

The introduction of H.R. 8982 marks the latest bipartisan congressional effort aimed at strengthening U.S. engagement on Tibet-related issues and support for the Tibetan exile administration based in Dharamshala, India.

The bill follows a series of bipartisan congressional initiatives on Tibet over the years. In recent decades, the U.S. Congress has passed several Tibet-related legislations aimed at supporting Tibetan human rights, religious freedom, cultural preservation, and dialogue between Beijing and Tibetan representatives. Notable among them are the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002, which formalized U.S. policy support for Tibetans, and the Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2020, which strengthened U.S. backing for the Tibetan people’s right to choose the Dalai Lama’s succession without Chinese government interference. More recently, the Resolve Tibet Act reaffirmed U.S. support for resolving the Tibet-China conflict through dialogue and countering Beijing’s narratives on Tibet. Click here to read the original report on Phayul.

Tommy Pigott, Spokesperson, The U.S. Department of State (.gov), 18 May 2026

Yesterday was the 31st anniversary of the disappearance of the Tibetan religious leader known as the Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima.  Days after the Dalai Lama recognised this child as an important future Tibetan Buddhist leader, Chinese authorities disappeared him and his family.  He was six years old.

Chinese authorities should immediately release Gedhun Choekyi Nyima and his family and stop persecuting Tibetans or others in China for their religious beliefs.

The United States supports religious freedom for Tibetans, and the freedom to preserve their unique cultural and linguistic identity.

Tibetan Buddhists, like members of all religious communities, should have the ability to freely select their own leaders – like the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama – according to their beliefs and without party-state interference.

– By Will Barker for The Week, 11 May 2026

A new report by Human Rights Watch argues that the compulsory use of Chinese as the primary language in schools in Tibet raises “serious concerns under international human rights law”.

Detailing the effects of the “Children’s Speech Harmonization Plan” five years ago, as well as more recent updates to the “National Common Language Law”, the organisation argues that measures are marginalising Tibetan identity to the point of erasure.

“International concern about these developments has grown,” said Jianli Yang in The Diplomat. These language laws fit into a pattern in recent years of “intensified policies” aimed to “reshape” Tibetan identity through “cultural control”.

‘Eroding’ Tibetan culture

Both politically and legally, “China is steadily narrowing the space for minority autonomy in education, language, and religion”, said The Diplomat. In December last year, the National People’s Congress revised the “National Common Language Law”. It now requires Mandarin to be the “fundamental teaching language” and mandates standardised textbooks throughout the education system. The codification of assimilation policies “marks a new phase” in Beijing’s strategy: it seeks “not merely to manage ethnic diversity but to fundamentally reshape it”.

Videos from Tibet on social media have shown young children “not even able to say their names in Tibetan, pronouncing them as if they were Chinese”, said Kris Cheng in The Guardian. Children, who have been brought up speaking Tibetan stop speaking it within a year of beginning school.

Parents face a “dilemma”: education in Chinese improves employment and career prospects, but it often comes at the cost of associating Tibetan with “social disadvantage”. Some are sending their children to Tibetan language classes in the school holidays, but authorities have been “cracking down” by “banning unsanctioned schools and classes in many places”.

Perhaps the most “profound policy shift” from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in Tibet was the 2021 “Children’s Speech Harmonization Plan”, said Human Rights Watch. For the first time, it mandated the use of Chinese language as a “medium of instruction” in all preschools. Though not explicitly banning Tibetan in educational settings, it effectively “downgrades” the freedom for minorities to develop and continue their language.

– By Human Rights Watch, 4 May 2026

• A 2021 Ministry of Education directive—the Children’s Speech Harmonization plan—mandates the use of standard Mandarin Chinese for all preschool instruction and care, including in ethnic minority areas.
• By severely limiting Tibetan-language education in early childhood, and imposing ideological indoctrination on kindergarten children, the Chinese government is speeding up its erasure of Tibetan language and culture.
• The Chinese government should end political indoctrination in early childhood and ensure that Tibetan children are able to learn and use Tibetan in kindergartens. Foreign governments should press the Chinese government to free detained advocates of Tibetan language and allow independent access to Tibetan areas.

(New York) – The Chinese government is imposing Chinese-medium education and ideological indoctrination on kindergarten children in its efforts to force Tibetans to assimilate, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.

The 72-page report, “Start with the Youngest Children: China Uses Preschools to ‘Integrate’ Tibetans,” documents that a 2021 Ministry of Education directive—the Children’s Speech Harmonization plan—mandates the use of standard Mandarin Chinese for all preschool instruction in ethnic minority areas. While the kindergartens in theory can still offer supplementary sessions for minority children in their own language, minorities no longer have the legal authority to do so. By severely limiting Tibetan-language education in early childhood, a stage critical for language acquisition and identity formation, the Chinese government is speeding up its erasure of Tibetan language and culture.

“The Chinese government, by targeting kindergarteners, is accelerating its campaign to deprive Tibetan children of their mother tongue and their culture and identity,” said Maya Wang, deputy Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “This policy is not about education quality, but about forcibly assimilating Tibetans at an early age into a Han-centric national identity.”

The report is based on an analysis of Chinese laws and policy documents, and academic and media sources. Human Rights Watch also interviewed seven Tibetans and scholars with recent, direct knowledge of conditions in Tibetan areas, where access is extremely restricted.

Human Rights Watch found that many Tibetan children emerge from preschool unable or unwilling to speak Tibetan, even with family members. Parents reported that within weeks or months of starting kindergarten, children switch almost entirely to Chinese.

The 2021 Harmonization Plan is the culmination of decades-long policy shifts reducing mother-tongue education for minorities. Since the 1984 Regional National Autonomy Law, China has moved in five stages to mandatory Chinese-instruction at progressively younger ages. While this process had been completed in primary and secondary schools, kindergartens were long the last setting where Tibetan could still be used as a main language of instruction.

In 2021, the Education Ministry ordered all kindergartens in minority areas to use the “national common language,” or standard Chinese, for all teaching and care activities. Official references to “bilingual education” disappeared from policy documents. A series of legal rulings, education laws, and government policies eliminated remaining legal and policy space for minority language education while embedding political and cultural indoctrination throughout the school system, including at the preschool level. This culminated in the 2026 Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress, which imposes legal penalties for anyone deemed to “obstruct” the learning and use of Chinese.

Although preschool is not compulsory in China, Human Rights Watch found that in Tibetan areas it has become obligatory in practice. Primary schools in urban areas increasingly require proof of kindergarten attendance for enrollment, leaving parents little choice but to send their children to Chinese-language preschools.

The authorities also require kindergartens to encourage or pressure parents and children to speak Chinese in their homes and to submit videos of them doing so. Government-appointed examiners have tested preschoolers’ Mandarin skills through interviews and observation, despite regulations that prohibit examinations and other academic pressure in kindergartens.

The language policy is paired with intensified political and cultural indoctrination. Preschool curriculums in Tibetan areas increasingly emphasize “patriotic education,” loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party, and identification as members of the “Chinese nation.” Children are taught to celebrate Han Chinese festivals, recite Chinese classics, sing patriotic songs, and participate in activities glorifying the military and revolutionary history. Tibetan Buddhism and Tibetan cultural practices—core elements of cultural and ethnic identities—are absent from the curriculum.

The accelerating language loss among ever younger Tibetans has profound cultural consequences, Human Rights Watch said. These include weakening communication between children and elders, altering family dynamics, reduced transmission of religious and cultural knowledge, and the growing perception among children that Tibetan language and identity are inferior.

China’s policies contravene its obligations under international human rights law, including the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, which guarantees children belonging to minorities the right to use their own language and obligates states to ensure education respects children’s cultural identity.

The Chinese government should reverse policies that mandate Chinese-medium education in preschools, restore genuine bilingual education options, and end political indoctrination in early childhood settings, Human Rights Watch said. Foreign governments and the UN should also press the Chinese government to comply with its international obligations and to allow independent access to Tibetan areas and schools.

“Language loss on the scale taking place in Tibet is not accidental – it is Chinese government policy,” Wang said. “Unless China’s practices change, an entire generation of Tibetan children will grow up cut off from their own language, culture, and heritage.”

Selected Quotes:

“Education must penetrate the blood and reach into the soul; it must be grasped from an early age, starting in kindergarten. We must do a good job with patriotic education, planting the seeds of love for China deep in every child’s heart, and ensuring that the core socialist values take root and grow in the minds of the next generation. All ethnic groups must teach children to develop a sense of belonging to the Chinese nation, so they do not only identify with their own ethnicity, but first and foremost recognize themselves as part of the Chinese nation.” 

– Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping, in a speech at the Central Nationalities Work Conference on September 28, 2014.

“This is not only about not teaching the Tibetan language. … It is carefully done to manage the way children think and believe.… The problem is that the kindergarten platform is designed in favor of the Han Chinese nationality – the way you talk, the topic, how to recognize objects, any knowledge that is introduced. Not even a whiff of the Tibetan way of thinking is there. The result is that when the children come out of kindergarten at age 6, even if both parents are Tibetan, the children think that they are Chinese.… In a decade or two, maybe the culture will die, and be only in a museum.” 

– Tibetan official involved in cultural policy implementation, interviewed by Human Rights Watch in mid-2025.

“Even though she is still able to understand it [Tibetan], she only answers in Chinese. After some time, she managed to give me some simple (single word) answers in Tibetan, but it was obvious she was making a great effort to do so…. There are two preschools in the town, and the mother chose the one where Tibetan language is not completely banned: the children are only spoken to in Chinese, but they are allowed to speak Tibetan in the playground.” 

– Scholar who specializes in linguistics, interviewed in writing by Human Rights Watch on March 5 and 6, 2025.

“All kids below 10 speak Chinese to each other. They do not speak Tibetan to each other. If you force them to, they speak Tibetan, but how well depends on the parents. It’s a lost cause – and it’s happened in one generation.” 

– Tibetan Studies scholar, interviewed by Human Rights Watch via text message on October 10, 2025.

Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Rick Scott (R-FL) introduced legislation on April 29 that directly confronts the Chinese Communist Party’s severe human rights violations and abuses in Tibet.

The Tibet Atrocities Determination Act would require the Secretary of State to investigate China’s repressive actions in Tibet and publicly report on whether those atrocities meet the criteria for genocide or crimes against humanity.

In a statement, Senator Scott said the Chinese government “has engaged in systematic killings, torture, forced sterilization, forced displacement, government sanctioned kidnapping, and a myriad of other crimes against humanity in its oppression of the Tibetan people.” Senator Merkley added, “As the Chinese government continues to ignore the rights of the Tibetan people under international law, we must be clear that these crimes will not be ignored.”

“China is accustomed to hiding its abuses in Tibet and discrediting its victims. Today the US Congress takes another step towards ending China’s impunity,” said ICT President Tencho Gyatso. “I appreciate Senator Scott and Senator Merkley’s determination to shine a light on these atrocities, and I encourage Secretary Rubio to thoroughly investigate China’s acts in Tibet when the bill becomes law.”

The bill includes a requirement to consult with “experts in Tibetan culture, religion, language, and internationally recognized human rights; nongovernmental organizations, including Tibetan advocacy groups; and members of the Tibetan diaspora” and to issue recommendations for United States policy responses, “including potential sanctions, including, but not limited to, visa restrictions and diplomatic actions.”

History of atrocities in Tibet

Chinese rule in Tibet has been marked by serious human rights violations and abuses against the Tibetan people from the very beginning.

The International Commission of Jurists found “prima facie evidence that the Chinese Communists have by acts of genocide attempted to destroy the Tibetan nation” in a 1959 report, while the Central Tibetan Administration states that China’s occupation of Tibet is “marked by systematic destruction of monasteries, the suppression of religion, denial of political freedom, widespread arrest and imprisonment and massacre of innocent men, women and children.”

Human rights reports issued by the State Department have consistently identified “significant human rights issues,” including credible reports of “disappearances; torture or cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment or punishment; arbitrary arrest or detention; transnational repression against individuals located in another country; serious restrictions on freedom of expression and media freedom, including censorship; and restrictions of religious freedom.”

Should the Tibet Atrocities Determination Act pass, the Secretary of State will be able to draw on these organizations, reports, and experts, among a plethora of others.

Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in Exile, Bylakuppe, Karnataka | April 25, 2026

On April 25, 2026 (Saturday), the Tibetan community in exile solemnly and joyously commemorated the 37th birthday of His Holiness the 11th Panchen Lama, Jetsun Tenzin Gedun Yeshe Trinley Phuntsok Palzangpo (Gedhun Choekyi Nyima), at Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in Bylakuppe, South India. The grand ceremony brought together spiritual devotion, cultural expression, and renewed global advocacy—reflecting both reverence for a sacred lineage and an unwavering commitment to justice, identity, and truth.

The event was graced by eminent dignitaries representing the highest institutions of the Central Tibetan Administration. The Chief Guest was Sikyong Penpa Tsering. Special Guests included Speaker of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile Khenpo Sonam Tenphel, Chief Justice Yeshe Wangmo of the Tibetan Supreme Justice Commission, and Cabinet Secretary Lobsang Jinpa from the Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. The gathering also welcomed senior monastery officials, regional and settlement representatives from Bylakuppe, members of various monasteries and NGOs, and the Tibetan public. Their presence underscored the enduring institutional unity and moral clarity surrounding the Panchen Lama’s legacy and the Tibetan cause.

The day began with elaborate monastic prayers invoking blessings for the long life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and for the well-being and swift reappearance of the 11th Panchen Lama. The rhythmic chants of monks, accompanied by traditional instruments, filled the monastery with a deeply contemplative and sacred atmosphere.

During the formal ceremony, the Abbot Rinpoche of Tashi Lhunpo Monastery read an official statement marking the occasion. Addresses were delivered by Sikyong Penpa Tsering, Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel, and Cabinet Secretary Lobsang Jinpa. In his speech, the Speaker highlighted the unique spiritual teacher–student relationship between the Dalai Lama and the Panchen Lama, and paid tribute to the immense contributions of the 10th Panchen Lama, Choekyi Gyaltsen, to Tibetan religion, language, and culture. He also underscored the grave concern surrounding the disappearance of the 11th Panchen Lama—recognized by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and taken into custody by Chinese authorities over 31 years ago—whose whereabouts remain unknown, raising ongoing global concern and mistrust.

Other speakers included respected scholars and teachers such as Nga Sangye Tendar, Kalzang Lhamo, and Druk Konchok, who reflected on the Panchen Lama’s spiritual and historical significance.

A central highlight of the event was the reaffirmation of the Panchen Lama’s global symbolic importance. It was announced that the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), USA, had awarded its prestigious 2025 Democracy Service Medal to the 11th Panchen Lama, Gedhun Choekyi Nyima. The medal was formally displayed to the public by the Abbot of Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, serving as a powerful symbol of international solidarity and recognition of the Panchen Lama as an enduring figure representing religious freedom, human rights, and resistance against cultural erasure.

The ceremony also marked a significant intellectual and cultural milestone with the release and inauguration of several important publications. Among these was the historic “70,000-Character Petition” authored by the 10th Panchen Lama—one of the most courageous critiques of Chinese policies in Tibet—alongside contemporary scholarly works that contextualize its ongoing relevance. Another major publication was an authoritative biography by the distinguished scholar Kachen Lobzang Zotpa, a former student of the 10th Panchen Lama and former Abbot of Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, whose work highlights the enduring spiritual and cultural ties between India and Tibet.

Students of Tashi Lhunpo Monastery actively participated in the celebrations by delivering speeches in Tibetan, English, and Hindi on the life and legacy of the Panchen Lama. The event also recognized academic excellence, with outstanding students honored for achievements in poetry, essay writing, debates, and examinations. Awards were presented to top performers in annual tantric debates, written exams, and major scholastic assessments. Tokens of appreciation were also offered to the chief and special guests.

The celebrations concluded with vibrant cultural performances, including traditional Tibetan songs and dances presented by students and members of the local community. These performances served as living expressions of a resilient culture that continues to thrive despite displacement and adversity.

The ceremony concluded with a formal vote of thanks from the monastery administration.

The 37th birthday celebration of the 11th Panchen Lama at Tashi Lhunpo Monastery in Exile reaffirmed his enduring significance as a beacon of faith, identity, and freedom. It also highlighted the broader challenges faced by the Tibetan people in preserving their cultural and spiritual heritage in an evolving global landscape.

As the international community continues to grapple with questions of justice, cultural preservation, and human dignity, the legacy of the Panchen Lama stands as a powerful reminder of the quiet strength of resilience and the enduring hope for truth and reconciliation. The gathering in Bylakuppe was not merely a commemoration of a birthday, but a reaffirmation of a collective vow—to remember, to resist, and to renew the quest for freedom and spiritual integrity.

China’s recent denigration of Tibetan elections lays bare its ignorance of Tibetan democracy and exile legitimacy, and its hollow claims to democratic values.

– By Dr Tsewang Gylapo Arya for Japan Forward, 23 April 2026

The Global Times, an official mouthpiece of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), recently derided the February voting of exiled Tibetan leaders, president and parliamentarians, saying, “Election without a land—an institutional illusion created by separatist groups in exile.”

Although such commentaries are presented as the views of “Chinese experts,” their blindness to democracy and to the Tibetan diaspora’s elections and their growing recognition worldwide call their expertise into question.

The Global Times article opens by disparaging the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) and its leadership, calling it “an illicit organization that violates China’s Constitution and laws.”

Yet it should be noted that the CCP itself has recognized the CTA as the so-called “Tibetan government-in-exile” and its purpose as “Tibetan independence.”

Who Violated the Constitution First?

There is a saying in India, “a thief scolding the policeman instead of the other way around.” This is exactly what the CCP regime is doing. Just recently, they established the Ethnic Unity and Progress law and claimed it was in accordance with the Chinese Constitution, but it was not. Here, it says the Tibetans violate China’s Constitution and laws.

Article 4 of the People’s Republic of China’s Constitution and the Regional Ethnic Autonomy Law (Articles 21, 37, and 49) ensure complete regional autonomy and freedom for the minority nationals to preserve their identity, language, and culture. The 17-point Agreement that the regime imposed on the Tibetans in 1951 also promised these rights.

It was in fact the CCP’s violation of the aforementioned documents that coerced Tibetans to revolt in 1959, the 1980s, and 2008. Instead of redressing the ills, Beijing exploited the upheavals to brutally eliminate dissent while ruling the land with an iron fist.

In 1959, H.H. the Dalai Lama and some 80,000 escaped to India, Nepal, and Bhutan and organized themselves in exile to look after the refugees. At the same time, they garnered support from the international community to fight the injustice and repression in the homeland.

Today, after more than 75 years, under the leadership of the Dalai Lama and the CTA, the Tibetans have come a long way, preserving what is being destroyed in Tibet and establishing a vibrant democratic community admired around the world.

Democracy and Freedom in Exile

China frequently boasts of democratic reforms, freedom, and development in Tibet. The irony is that, without democracy in mainland China itself, it is hard to see how it can extend it to Tibetans.

The regime brags of democracy and claims that former serfs have become masters. But the reality is that even after 76 years of “democratic reforms,” no Tibetan has become the party Secretary of the Autonomous Region. It had always been Chinese. This is a cruel reminder to the Tibetans that they are under foreign subjugation.

Tibetans have no right to elect their leaders in the homeland, while the Tibetan diaspora community is thriving with democracy and freedom.

The Global Times article goes on to say, “The election is increasingly detached from the Tibetan people it claims to represent.” That may be true. But the primary cause of this situation is the Chinese occupation of Tibet, which, according to the UNGA Resolution 1723 of 1961, is illegal and against the UN Charter of Human Rights.

Despite the CCP’s claims of increased Gross National Product, social stability, and public services, Tibetans in Tibet are not free. Since 2008, the number of Tibetans escaping Tibet has dropped to almost zero. Not because Tibetans are happy and prosperous, but because there is no freedom of movement, borders are sealed, and Tibetans are denied passports to travel.

The CCP’s Hidden Hand

The article further asserts a decline in participation compared with the last election, dissatisfaction with Penpa Tsering (elected president of the CTA), and doubts about the election’s integrity. It must be noted that in all six General Elections held since 2001, the participation has been more than 50%, with the 2021 election at the top with 76%.

The decline this time is not due to a “weakening exile community,” as Xiao Jie of the China Tibetology Research Center claims. It is widely believed that the dip stems from CCP influence in undermining the voting process beyond its borders. For example, there were reports of ballot boxes being forcibly confiscated in Nepal, where China wields considerable influence.

As for claims of dissatisfaction with President Penpa Tsering, his securing more than 61% of the vote in the first round without campaigning is clear evidence of voter confidence in his leadership.

Regarding claims of election integrity, Tibetan diaspora elections have won international recognition for their fairness and peaceful conduct.

The So-Called Chinese Experts

In the same article, Professor Li Haidong is quoted as saying, “Such an election has no basis in either international law or domestic law, and therefore carries no legal validity.”

But on what authority does China speak about the law? The occupation of Tibet and the ongoing repression violate both international and domestic law. The UN Charter has ensured freedom, democracy, and self-determination for all nationals, and Tibetans are forced to exercise these rights in exile.

Pronouncements like “it carries no legal validity” from a professor at China Foreign Affairs University are therefore unbefitting. If the election is not valid, why does China have to beg the neighboring countries not to acknowledge and endorse the Tibetan leadership’s election result?

Zhu Weiqun, former executive head of Beijing’s United Front Work Department and former head of the Ethnic and Religious Affairs Committee, was also one of the key persons in the Sino-Tibetan Negotiation (2002–2010). He was known for his anti-religious opinion and vituperation against the Dalai Lama.

“The CTA cannot conceal an obvious fact: its so-called ‘voters’ are in no way representative of the Xizang people […] There has never been, and will never be, any room for any form of Tibetan independence,” Zhu notes in the article.

One thing is very clear: if a Chinese leader like Zhu Weiqun harbors such a view on Tibet, the Dalai Lama, and the CTA, it is not surprising that the Sino-Tibetan Negotiations of 2002-2010 failed.

First, voters in the diaspora do not represent people of Xizang; they represent Tibet of the three provinces of U-Tsang, Amdo, and Kham. “Xizang” is a Chinese fabrication and a mere meronym of Tibet.

Second, regarding Tibetan independence, he should read Prof. Hon-Shiang Lau’s book, Tibet Was Never Part of China Since Antiquity, and the CTA’s Memorandum for Genuine Autonomy. These would clarify the historical context and what Tibetans seek in relation to China. The arguments have also received support from several Chinese scholars.

Who is Aging and Weakening? 

In the article, Xiao Jie of China Tibetology Research Center derogates the Tibetan Diaspora as “aging leadership” and a “weakening exile community.”

Yet as a research fellow, he should know how much the Dalai Lama is being revered around the world for his contribution to peace, compassion, and non-violence.

The Tibetan exile community is not weakening. In all these 66 years in exile, what the CCP has destroyed and continues to destroy in Tibet has all been meticulously preserved in exile and shared with the international community. The Tibetan diaspora is thriving with vibrant democracy and has become an icon for all repressed communities around the world.

Xiao Jie further claims that “leaders such as Penpa Tsering lack the religious authority, family networks, and aristocratic background that once conferred influence within the exile circle.”

Since when have Chinese experts started looking for these qualifications in leadership? What was the proletarian revolution all about? Was it not to overthrow the traditional bourgeois social system based on social status? So, what the Professor is saying is against the basic principle of the proletarian revolution.

Nations Belong to the People

There have been foreign visitors such as Lee Camp, S.L. Kanthan, and Mark Logan who have made favorable comments on the current situation in Tibet. What they say may be true, but only in the sense that it reflects what they were shown and told by the CCP. Their affiliations are also evident from their social media posts.

But there are other recent visitors (name withheld on request), who reported, “Monasteries, Tibetans, and developments are there, but it is all guarded by surveillance cameras and police. Cheerful and frolicking young novice monks of yesteryears are missing. Once friendly and smiling Tibetans in the monasteries and Bakhor areas have now become suspicious, and visitors are not allowed around without local guides. It’s like you are in a beautiful garden with a nagging fear of being stung.”

Tibet has become a showpiece, like a beautiful cut flower, without any substance or real roots. Monasteries and nunneries are under the control of the CCP cadres. Children and young people are prohibited from visiting and joining monasteries. All Tibetan schools are closed and replaced with Chinese colonial boarding schools, where around one million children as young as 4 are forcefully indoctrinated under the regime’s assimilative policy.

The Tibetan language is likewise discouraged. Those promoting the native language are arrested and tortured under false charges. Laws have been enacted to justify the repression and forced assimilation of minority nationalities. To name a few, these include Religious Order No. 5, Religious Order No. 19, the Patriotism Law, and the Ethnic Unity Law. This is the reality behind the development and social stability that the CCP regime and its foreign guests are flaunting.

H.H. the Dalai Lama has on many occasions said that we are all guests on this planet, and we all need to leave after some time and hand over the planet to the next generation. Nations belong to the people, not to the kings, governments, or political parties. It is the welfare of humanity and the sentient beings that is more important than perverted nationalism and patriotism.

The war and the killings that we are seeing right now are all because of our false view of national interest. We must put humanity first before any race, religion, or nationality.

Tibetans, both inside and outside Tibet, and their supporters aspire to the freedom and well-being not only of Tibetans, but also of the Chinese people and other ethnic minorities. They, in fact, hope for a global community espoused by H.H. the Dalai Lama, where humanity could live in peace and harmony.

* Dr Tsewang Gylapo Arya is the former Secretary of the Department of Information and International Relations and former Director of the Tibet Policy Institute. He is currently the Representative of the Liaison Office of His Holiness the Dalai Lama for Japan and East Asia. His books include Harnessing the Dragon’s Fume and The Ancient Tibetan Civilization. The views expressed above are the author’s own.