Cultural Annihilation and the Tibetan Government-in-Exile’s Five Appeals to the Canadian Government

On May 5, 2022, the President of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), the abbot of Tashilhunpo Monastery along with other members of the CTA’s delegation testified in front of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development. The CTA is also referred to as the Tibetan Government-in-exile and it disputes China over whether the incorporation of Tibet into China is legitimate in accordance with international law. Tibet to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) is the mainland version of Taiwan. The CTA is not formally recognized by any governments around the globe, but it claims to be the rightful and legitimate government of Tibet.

However, it does receive monetary aid from countries around the world. It receives these donations because it is recognized globally as a non-profit welfare group that provides government-like functions to Tibetans in exile. The CTA’s headquarters are in Dharamsala which is located in Northern India. In fact, the Indian government gives the CTA jurisdiction in that part of Northern India to run schools, health services, cultural activities, and economic development projects for the Tibetan community. They provide financial aid to the over 100,000 Tibetans currently exiled in Northern India and for the hundreds that cross the border from China each year. Mr. Penpa Tsering is the Sikyong – or ‘president’ - of the government-in-exile and he has never stepped foot inside of Tibet. Instead, Mr. Tsering resorts to looking at Tibet through fences near the India-China border.

Because the CTA is not an internationally recognized government, it is interesting to see the CTA’s delegation on Parliament Hill in Ottawa. Yet, because they receive financial aid from governments around the world, it is not abnormal. However, the CTA travelled to Ottawa to pose five appeals to the Canadian government that would help them to put pressure on China in order to obtain the release of the 11th Panchen Lama - Gedhun Choekyi Nyima. After the Dalai Lama, the Panchen Lama ranks the second highest spiritual leader in Tibetan Buddhism. Because Buddhists believe in reincarnation, the Panchen Lama is recognized as a child by the Dalai Lama, usually before the age of ten. In 1995, the 14th and current Dalai Lama - Gyalwa Rinpoche – named Gedhun Choekyi Nyima the 11th Panchen Lama at the age of six years old. The PRC had not seen a Panchen Lama die so they had not yet been able to appoint their own in an attempt to suppress the religion’s norms – the 10th Panchen Lama was born in 1938 and the PRC was founded in 1949. China’s issue was solved when in 1989 the 10th Panchen Lama, Choekyi Gyaltsen, died of a massive heart attack three days after addressing a crowd of 30,000 Tibetans where he informed them of the atrocities performed by the PRC on the Tibetan community. The CTA alleges that the PRC assassinated him. After his death, the PRC subsequently appointed their own Panchen Lama, Gyancain Norbu, who was raised in Beijing. It was China’s way of telling Tibetans - and indeed the rest of the world - that they control not only that region but the people within it and their religion as well. Expectedly, Tibetans refuse to acknowledge the fake Panchen Lama Gyancain Norbu.

However, the wrongdoings by the PRC in this situation don’t stop there. Three days after the Dalai Lama appointed the rightful 11th Panchen Lama in 1995, the PRC allegedly abducted Gedhun, whilst he was just 6 years old, along with his immediate family. To this day, none of the abductees have been seen or heard from since. May 17, 2022, marked the 27th anniversary of the alleged abduction. The CTA’s delegation travelled to Ottawa just over a week before the anniversary to plea to the Canadian government to assist them in finding the 11th Panchen Lama and to also bring awareness to the issue. Mr. Tsering was upfront with the standing committee about China’s stance on the matter. The PRC has told Tibetans that Gedhun Nyima is alive, healthy and does not want to be disturbed. The problem is that the Chinese government has not provided evidence for that claim and therefore, the Tibetan people are unsure if Gedhun is even alive. Mr. Tsering said that “…some evidence of whether he’s alive or not would be soothing for the Tibetans…”. The president of the CTA is certain that this withholding of information is a political decision by the PRC. He is certain of this because if the PRC identifies the reincarnation of the 10th Panchen Lama and instead of the Dalai Lama, the Chinese government is effectively taking secular power away from the highest ranking spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism. Controlling a population’s religious succession infringes upon religious freedom. It is true that the Dalai Lama is the top spiritual leader and recognizes a new Panchen Lama based on signs of reincarnation. However, when the Dalai Lama dies, the Panchen Lama recognizes a new Dalai Lama based on those same principles. The Dalai Lama always stays the highest ranked spiritual leader and the Panchen Lama always ranks second. Therefore, by conflicting the religion’s succession process, one can speculate that the PRC’s goal is to control who the spiritual leaders are and therefore, have control over the messages they convey to the Tibetan people. The PRC in turn would be able to influence Tibetan culture and manipulate their citizens, thus making Tibetans more governable. However, the Tibetans are not falling for this deviant PRC plot. Mr. Tsering told the committee that even today if one were to visit Lhasa, located on the Tibetan Plateau, only images of the 10th Panchen Lama would be visible and not Gyancain Norbu – the PRC-appointed Panchen Lama.

Mr. Tsering was not the only witness to testify to the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development that afternoon. The abbot of the Tashilhunpo Monastery, Tenzin Rabyal, also addressed the committee. The Tashilhunpo Monastery is significant because traditionally, the Panchen Lama is the abbot of that monastery. The Tashilhunpo Monastery is located in the city of Shigatse, in the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) of China. The monastery was founded by the very first Dalai Lama, Gedun Drupa, in 1447. Therefore, the Tashilhunpo Monastery is a sacred place to Tibetan Buddhists. Mr. Rabyal’s focus was to make five appeals to the Canadian Government: Pass a motion in Parliament that mandates the Ambassador to China to meet with the 11th Panchen Lama to make certain his whereabouts and well-being; have the 11th Panchen Lama honoured by the Canadian Government with an award recognizing him of enforced disappearance for 27 years and as someone who has been denied his human rights, religious freedoms and other fundamental rights of movement, residency and action; observe the birthday of the 11th Panchen Lama, as to bring global recognition to the issue at hand; actively call for the release of the 11th Panchen Lama and other Tibetan political prisoners; lastly, take concrete initiatives to support the Dalai Lama and the CTA to enable a resolution to the conflict in Tibet through the mutually beneficial ‘middle-way’ approach. Before dissecting these appeals and the Canadian Members of Parliament’s questions about them, there is something important to note. The Tibetan Government-in-exile has not been the only entity trying to draw attention to the imprisonment of the 11th Panchen Lama and the human rights violations of Tibetans by the PRC. An estimated 160 Tibetan citizens have resorted to self-immolation, which is the act of setting oneself on fire, in hopes that it will draw attention to the PRC’s treatment of Tibetans. People ranging in ages from 25 to 81 have taken their lives in a most horrific way as a plea to the global community for help.

Members of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development proceeded to inquire more information about the oppression of Tibetans levied by the PRC. As discussed earlier, it is in the political interest of the PRC to have control over the Tibetan religion and its succession - hence abducting the true Panchen Lama and appointing an illegitimate one. There are numerous ways for a powerful nation to control and effectively annihilate the culture of a region under their wrongful occupation. Controlling the language of a population is one of the most effective methods of cultural annihilation. Member of Parliament (MP) Garnett Genius from Alberta asked the CTA’s President about China’s attacks on Tibetan language and the education of Tibetan youth. Mr. Tsering informed the committee that the Tibetan language originates from India and has no ties to Mandarin. The PRC has been attacking Tibetan language as early as 1962 along with their religious heritage. A cultural revolution in China during the 1960s and 1970s exacerbated the destruction. When Xi Jinping came into power, there was only one language taught, only one culture tolerated, and only one China revered.

One of the most prominent issues that concern the CTA delegation is the lack of dialogue between the PRC and the CTA. Nine meetings were held between the PRC and the CTA between 2002 and 2010. Mr. Tsering, who was democratically elected as president of the CTA in May of 2021, said the reason as to why the PRC wanted to open dialogue with the CTA became clear in hindsight. The PRC in 2002 wanted to ensure that Tibetans did not protest the PRC when Beijing hosted the 2008 Summer Olympics. So, the PRC held conferences with the CTA to falsely portray a willingness to resolve the conflict in the TAR. However, when the 2008 Summer Olympics went smoothly for the PRC, they disbanded talks with the CTA two years later and have not resumed them since. Mr. Tsering says the CTA knows now that China never wanted to have serious resolution talks with them. In fact, since 2010 the opposite has been occurring. Mr. Tsering says that the PRC has the capabilities to run behemoth propaganda campaigns. These campaigns depict the Tibetan lands to have always been a part of China since time immemorial. Because of these propaganda campaigns, people in China don’t study Tibetan history - which is another effective way to annihilate a culture. To make problems worse, the only state-endorsed history of Tibet is written by Chinese sources and therefore, susceptible to unfavourable bias. Mr. Tsering during his testimony did endorse a book called, ‘Tibet Brief 2020’. The book is written in a factual context that says Tibet has never been recognized by the international community as a part of China before the PRC invaded in 1950.

In 2020, the CTA was still critical of the PRC, however, there was optimism. That level of optimism no longer seems to exist amongst the CTA, observes Stephan Bergeron - MP from Quebec. Mr. Tsering explained that the optimism felt in 2020 stemmed from Xi Jinping not pushing to run for a third term. Now that he is pushing for a third term, the optimism has dwindled into a bleak abyss. This is mainly because of the PRC’s ‘One China Policy’ that says there is to be one language, one culture, one China. It wasn’t that long ago when the mistreatment of the Uyghurs was headlining every news station around the world. The attempt to eradicate the Uyghur population stems from that same One China Policy that killed the CTA’s optimism for a truly autonomous Tibet. MP Heather McPherson is familiar with the Uyghur genocide. She was a member of the sub-committee that performed a study of the Uyghur’s situation in China. The result of the study found that there was in fact a genocide of the Uyghurs by the PRC and Canada imposed sanctions on China in 2021 as a response. MP McPherson wanted to know the effectiveness of those sanctions and what more Canada can do in that situation that may also be applicable to the oppression of the Tibetans. Mr. Tsering said that because of China’s large economy, sanctions tend to be ineffective. They have far too much depth in their economy that allows them to pursue other avenues to avoid sanctions. Similarly, sanctions on Chinese officials don’t do much good either. Government officials and leaders of Chinese provinces get support from the central government which is the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Because they get support from the top level of the central government; diplomats, public servants and officials of Chinese provincial governments suffer no real consequences from sanctions. Mr. Tsering also added that many Chinese officials have no interest in leaving the country so travelling sanctions aren’t effective. However, the CTA president did say that Canada can do something domestically. The Canadian Government should prevent its businesses from investing in companies in the TAR within southwest China and the Uyghur Autonomous Region (UAR) in northwest China. Both of these regions see vast amounts of forced labour among the local populations. In fact, the CTA is launching a study to determine what level of exported goods are produced by forced labour in those regions. When the study is complete, they will table that report to the clerk of the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development.

Moreover, it would appear that when Canada attempts diplomatic missions in China it is counterproductive. MP Michael Chong asked the CTA President whether the ambassador trips to the TAR are effective or if they serve as propaganda for the PRC. Mr. Tsering acknowledged the ladder as the reality. The PRC wants foreign officials and ambassadors to see only what they want them to see. Therefore, when foreign ambassadors are escorted through the TAR by the PRC, they are not exposed to the true state of Tibet. Mr. Tsering made a critical point on this topic: China claims that Tibet is a socialist paradise. However, Mr. Tsering noted that they do not let foreign citizens into the TAR easily. If a Chinese citizen gets a visa to travel to Canada, they can go anywhere in Canada without restrictions. However, if a Canadian citizen gets a permit to travel into China, they have to acquire a separate permit to enter Tibet – which is not easily attainable. Mr. Tsering is curious as to why the PRC won’t let travellers into the TAR without a special permit. After all, it is apparently a socialist paradise. Mr. Tsering though wants to make it clear; he is not denying that there is development in Tibet, the main question is for whom that development is for. Additionally, Mr. Tsering asked the Canadian parliament to pass a reciprocal policy approach. An example of a reciprocal policy approach would be that a Chinese traveller into Canada would get a Visa to travel within British Columbia, however, if they wanted to then travel into Alberta they would need to acquire a separate permit.

However, ambassador trips to China and specifically Tibet are not in vain. Valuable information is still obtained from such ventures. When the Canadian ambassador to China - Dominic Barton - visited Tibet last year, he noted something extremely eerie. It relates back to the self-immolations discussed earlier in this piece as a means of demonstrating against the PRC’s treatment of Tibetans. Ambassador Barton noted that Chinese security officials were not only carrying guns but fire extinguishers as well. Mr. Tsering said that burning oneself is the only way to effectively voice concerns about the PRC: “[When] there’s no freedom of thought, no freedom of speech, no freedom of movement, then your life is reduced to that of an animal.”. He goes on to explain that if they speak out, they will be imprisoned and effectively silenced. Therefore, self-immolation is the only hope for Tibetans in order to get a response from the international community.

China doesn’t just have powerful domestic state propaganda capabilities. They also have effective methods to promote state-backed interference in foreign countries – such as Canada. This phenomenon is called trans-national repression and China over the last decade has poured more resources into that effort. They also restrict Chinese students that come to Canada to study. The Students Scholar Association is used by the Chinese consulates to monitor the actions of Chinese students abroad and if they do something the consulate office does not want them to do, they either are not permitted to enter back into China, or they could face consequences upon return. Yet even still, they spend more money on internal security compared to external security. Mr. Tsering didn’t have an exact figure, but he specified that funds go towards security apparatuses in Tibet, the United Work Front, intelligence gathering and the domestic surveillance systems within Tibetan neighbourhoods and monasteries. In fact, because Tibet is such a ‘domestic’ concern for China – although we here at The Compass Forum deem it as a ‘foreign affairs’ concern for China – the PRC spends more money on Tibet in the areas outlined above than in other areas of China.

Moreover, the CTA says the treatment of Tibetans and the lack of tolerance towards their religious practices is nothing but horrendous. Beginning during the Chinese invasion of Tibet in 1950; monasteries have been destroyed, monks and nuns have been tortured and murdered, and Tibetans have been imprisoned for practising their cultural and religious norms. Approximately 1.2 million Tibetans have died as a direct result of the PRC’s rule, Tibetan monasteries are under stringent government control, and economic projects undertaken by the PRC - such as the China Western Development economic plan and the Qinghai-Tibet Railway - are simply ways to import a military presence and the Han Chinese demographic into the TAR of China. The PRC says that these economic projects are for the benefit of the Tibetan people. However, a stronger military presence means more bodies to enforce oppression and the One China Policies. Also, having a railway provides the Han Chinese demographic to move into the TAR and saturate Tibetan culture with more mainstream Chinese societal norms – once again, an effective way to annihilate a culture.

To bring this all together, why is it in Canada’s interest to pay attention to what is happening in Tibet? Mr. Tsering poetically notes, “Only when problems come to your door do you realize it’s happening. Otherwise, you feel that it is too far away…but anything that happens in a small part of the world affects the larger international community.”. Also, the profits that China nets from its trade relationship with Canada are used to fund the domestic security initiatives that suppress the Tibetan people. However, Mr. Tsering says that it is in Canada’s interest, most importantly, to spread its values – not just domestically but abroad as well. Canadian values are indeed a beautiful thing and Canada should do its utmost to spread them internationally. However, what the Canadian government can do immediately, Mr. Tsering emphasized, is reciprocate the travelling process for Chinese travellers entering Canada as the PRC has done for foreigners travelling into Tibet. Only then can bigger issues be addressed, said Mr. Tsering. Another area Canada can assist in is humanitarian support. Mr. Tsering said one of his main duties is to maintain the cohesiveness of his Tibetan community-in-exile within Northern India. Additionally, he said it is equally important for Tibetan-Canadians to have the resources to learn their language, history and culture. The five largest Tibetan-Canadian communities exist in; Toronto, Montreal, Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver. Mr. Tsering finally reiterated that the book, ‘Tibet Brief 2020’ has a section of policy recommendations for course correction and he encouraged the parliamentarians to read it. In fact, we here at The Compass Forum encourage everyone to buy a copy and learn more about Tibet’s history, their current oppression and how the international community can assist – Consider it The Compass Forum’s book recommendation for the month of August.

The CTA’s delegation went to Ottawa with a goal to shed light on the humanitarian crisis levied by the PRC on Tibetans, the attempt at cultural annihilation and the abduction of one of their most sacred spiritual leaders. The five appeals proposed by the delegation were received warmly by the committee members. However, it doesn’t appear much has been done by the Canadian government yet. Considering the level of severity these appeals held, it is not surprising that the plans to follow through on these appeals, if any plans exist, are to be made public – especially within mere months. Although in the past, Canada set up the Canada Tibet Committee and within the last five years they have requested the government of China to inform Tibetans of the whereabouts of the Panchen Lama. All past attempts to prevent human rights violations and to receive evidence from the PRC on the whereabouts of the Panchen Lama have been unsuccessful. Still, Canada persists that they are against human rights violations and will keep trying to get information from China on the Panchen Lama’s well-being. For the greatest chance of success, the international community must come together to put pressure on China. When the PRC caught wind of the CTA’s visit to Ottawa, they were quick to emphasize that if Canada interfered, subsequent consequences would soon follow. A spokesperson from the Chinese embassy said that Canada must stop interfering with China’s domestic affairs in Xizang (Tibet) and not give a platform to the Chinese separatist group. China deems the CTA as a separatist group and that they conduct separatist activities while spreading Chinese separatist ideologies around the world. The bottom line is that China is oppressing Tibetans in numerous ways but most tragically, they prevent them from practising their language, religion and way of life because of the One China Policy. Those problems are much more difficult to solve from Canada’s standpoint. However, here’s hoping that the Panchen Lama can be returned soon and that he is alive and healthy. Only the Chinese government knows whether or not that is true and due to the PRC’s ill-willed nature, it can only be assumed that they are in no rush to share that much-wanted information.