LHASA: People of Tibet have no trust in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) after 77 years, as the party's occupation in the region has been marked by broken promises, suppression of culture, and systematic efforts to erase Tibetan identity. The CCP has not been able to win the hearts and minds of Tibetans but has only hardened their conviction that Tibet must be free, a report has detailed.
Tibetans feel that living under China's control has been by force instead of willingness. The CCP entered Tibet under the guise of "liberation" in 1950, promising autonomy and respect for Tibetan traditions. However, the promises of the CCP collapsed within 10 years, and Tibetans now reject the CCP's rule after 77 years, according to a report in The Tibet Express.
"After seventy-seven years, Tibetans have no trust in the CCP. The occupation has failed to win hearts or minds; it has only hardened the conviction that Tibet must be free. Should a referendum ever take place, Tibetans would choose secession-not out of ideology, but out of lived experience. China's track record leaves them no other path," Khedroob Thondup, the nephew of the 14th Dalai Lama, wrote in The Tibet Express.
Recently, a leading international press freedom organisation has strongly condemned the sweeping restrictions imposed by the Chinese authorities on media professionals from accessing vital information regarding the Tibetan region following the devastating flash floods.
Expressing grave concern, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said that no independent Tibetan media outlet or international news organisation has been granted access to the disaster-stricken area.
The organisation said this "reflects a long-standing practice of the Chinese regime, which exercises some of the strictest control in the world over media professionals."
In the aftermath of the disaster, it said, the Chinese authorities have only authorised state media to cover the floods in Tibetan areas, with reports highlighting Beijing's achievements and successes in relief efforts rather than providing a comprehensive account of the scale and impact of the devastation.
Criticising the restrictions on media coverage, Aleksandra Bielakowska, Head of Advocacy, RSF Asia-Pacific, said that in recent years, under Chinese President Xi Jinping's leadership, Tibet has become a "de facto information black hole". (IANS)
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