China's proposed policy for Tibet, which includes combating "separatism" and Sinicising Tibetan Buddhism, is misguided and unrealistic, said president of the Central Tibetan Authority (CTA) Lobsang Sangay. China had conducted the seventh Central Symposium on Tibet Works in Beijing on August 29. “China’s policy of Sinicizing Tibetan Buddhism is a misguided attempt at controlling the Tibetan people’s religious belief and the reincarnation system. China must draw on its past experiences and allow the Tibetan people to maintain its distinct faith and religious traditions,” said Sangay.
At the two-day symposium, Xi Jinping, China's president and general secretary of the Commusist Party of China, Xi Jingping had stressed that more education and guidance should be provided for the Tibetan public to mobilise their participation in "combating separatist activities, thus forging an ironclad shield to safeguard stability", according to the Xinhua News Agency. Jinping had spoken about building a new modern socialist Tibet. "It is necessary to actively guide the Tibetan Buddhism to adapt to the socialist society and promote the sinicisation of the Tibetan Buddhism," Jinping said.
"For Tibetans, Buddhism is more important than Communism. To force them to treat communism as more important than their faith is not only a violation of international religious freedom, but is also deeply misguided. Sinicisation of Tibetan Buddhism is never going to work. The last 60 years of Chinese rule in Tibet is a testament to that fact," Sangay said in a press statement. "The demolition of Larung Gar and Yarchen Gar, two of the largest Buddhist institutes in the world by Chinese authorities was a tragic example of Chinese atrocities on Tibetan Buddhism. Tibetans continue to undergo untold suffering and brutality. Freedom House has listed Tibet as the least free region in the world after Syria for five consecutive years. Yet, the determination of the Tibetan people inside Tibet is still strong and remains faithfully devoted to His Holiness the Dalai Lama.”
Responding to Jinping’s claim of building ‘an impregnable fortress’ in Tibet, Sangay explained that “to foster stability in Tibet, China must first address the genuine grievances of the Tibetan people and not forget the 154 Tibetans who have set themselves on fire in protest against Chinese policies in Tibet. “The root cause of instability in Tibet is not the Tibetan people’s faith, but the repressive and failed policies of the Chinese government. The continuation of these hard line policies and repression is only going to make matters worse. That’s why Genuine Autonomy based on the Middle Way Approach is the only viable solution. Resumption of dialogue with His Holiness the Dalai Lama or his envoys remains the only foreseeable solution to resolve the Tibet issue,” he said.
Expressing concern at China’s military build-up on the Tibetan plateau, Sangay raised the issue of China’s military expansionism and its intentions on the ‘five fingers’ as well as on the border regions of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. “China has been quietly militarising the Tibetan plateau for over 60 years under the pretext of development and modernisation. For Tibet, this has only led to an influx of soldiers, Han settlers, and weapons. For its neighbours, this militarisation of the Tibetan plateau has led to a military build-up on its borders, jeopardising the already contentious border regions as evidenced by the recent Galwan incident,'' said the Tibetan leader.
