Berlin: Tibetan political leader and Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) president Penpa Tsering has strongly criticised China’s policies in Tibet, warning that Beijing’s intensified assimilation efforts threaten not only Tibetan identity but also democratic values worldwide.
During a series of high-level meetings in Germany, Tsering met Thomas Rachel, a member of the German Bundestag and chair of the Parliamentary Group on Freedom of Religion or Belief in Berlin. He briefed the lawmaker on the situation in Tibet, highlighting what he described as growing restrictions on Tibetan religious practices, cultural expression, and language rights, along with concerns about the health of the Dalai Lama.
According to the CTA, Tsering told Rachel that the Dalai Lama remains committed to serving humanity and also outlined Tibet’s modern political history, including China’s military entry in 1950 and the 1959 uprising that led to the Dalai Lama’s exile.
Raising concerns over present-day conditions, Tsering accused Chinese authorities of systematically weakening Tibetan identity through tighter control over monasteries, restrictions on Tibetan-language education, and the expansion of state-run boarding schools. He also cited concerns about surveillance practices, including facial recognition systems, DNA collection, and extensive digital monitoring in the region.
Tsering further rejected Beijing’s claim over the authority to decide the future reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, asserting that such matters belong exclusively to Tibetan Buddhist traditions and religious leaders.
Later, addressing the International Uyghur Forum in Berlin, he called for closer cooperation among Tibetans, Uyghurs, Mongolians, Hong Kongers, and Taiwanese communities facing pressure from China. He described their struggles as part of a broader global contest between democracy and authoritarian governance, according to the CTA.
He also warned about what he termed China’s demographic engineering and assimilation policies in Tibet, East Turkistan, and Southern Mongolia. Additionally, he raised concerns over Beijing’s planned large-scale hydropower project on the Yarlung Tsangpo River, cautioning that it could have serious environmental consequences and impact downstream countries.