China’s new public relations strategy to extend its repression of Tibet’s freedom of religion

China’s new public relations strategy to extend its repression of Tibet’s freedom of religion
Tibet. Source: ConstantineD/Flickr, 2004.

06.10.2022

 

Fleur Harmsen

 

Tibet and Human Rights Researcher,

 

Global Human Rights Defense.

 

The Chinese authorities have set forth a public relations strategy to end international support for Tibet after the death of the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader. The plan includes implementing a puppet leader in his place. The report, entitled “Tibet, the Dalai Lama, and the Geopolitics of Reincarnation”, is a 30 page report where evidence is shown that China is planning on using the Dalai Lama’s passing as a “historic” opportunity to expand its firm control of the region. 

China had already intervened in the selection of the Panchen Lama, Tibet’s second highest spiritual leader, 25 years ago. Historically, the Panchen Lama, together with the council of high lamas, is in charge of seeking out the next Dalai Lama. The Panchen Lama installed by Beijing remains unpopular with Tibetans both in exile and at home. 

Beijing seeks to control the identification of other Tibetan religious leaders, and coerces that the selection of the next Dalai Lama must comply with Chinese law. 

China’s intervention in the religious freedom of Tibet is in clear contradiction with international human rights law.

China signed the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) in october 1998 without having ratified it. The latter entails that China is not bound by the covenant however it has the obligation to act in good faith and not defeat the purpose of the ICCPR. Therefore, China cannot act in ways that go against the rights enshrined in the Covenant. 

Article 1 of the ICCPR delimintates the right of all peoples to self-determination, having thus the right to freely pursue their cultural development. In addition, article 27 of the ICCPR states that ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities shall not be denied the right, as a group, to enjoy their culture, profess and practise their own religion or use their own language. Lastly, article 18 of the same Covenant rights that all people have the right to enjoy the freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice either individually or in community. This right extends to the freedom to manifest one's one religion or belief in public or in private.  

China’s plan to identify the future spiritual leaders of Tibet goes directly against that right to self-determination and the right of individuals and peoples to freely practise their faith as China seeks to extend its control over the Tibetan population through the implementation of Tibet’s future spiritual leaders. 

Sources and further reading:

Lodoe, K. (2022, September 27). Policy docs show China plans to end support for Tibet after Dalai Lama’s death. Radio Free Asia. Retrieved October 7, 2022, from https://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/death-10052022205215.html