Washington DC: The Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC) released their annual report—a report based on the events between 1 July 2019 to 1 July 2020—detailing its recommendations to Congress and the United States President based on the human rights conditions and rule of law developments in China.
The CECC highlighted their concerns of the Chinese Communist Party’s increasingly repressive tactics, such as intimidation of critics, censorship (internet, academia, journalism), and interference in foreign governments and citizens. Along with Tibet, freedom of expression in Hong Kong, East Turkestan (Xinjiang), and Taiwan are curtailed because of China’s concerted efforts to influence foreign corporations.
Full report can be found here—the section on Tibet begins on page 322.
Like the past decades, the CECC observed that there has been no progress of formal negotiations between the 14th Dalai Lama’s representatives and the CCP.
Religious freedom continues to deteriorate in Tibet as the CCP asserts their claim over the Dalai Lama’s and other lamas’ reincarnation. The CCP imposes sacrilegious credentialism methods to Tibetan Buddhist members in monasteries.
The government of the so-called Tibet “Autonomous” Region passed ethnic unity regulations that impose more harsh measures to stifle Tibetans in the name of containing separatism. Ethnic unity provisions, as described by the report, entails: “sinicizing religion,” increased propaganda by media organizations, implementation of ethnic unity propaganda in museums and educational settings, and criminalizing expression that may disrupt ethnic unity aims.
Arbitrary detainment of Tibetans continues to be common under Chinese controlled Tibet. The CECC highlighted two Tibetan political prisoners of concern: Wangdu and Anya Sengdra. Chinese authorities sentenced Wangdu, an HIV/AIDS activist and former monk, and three other Tibetans in 2008 with life imprisonment “on accusations of distributing material inciting a ‘Tibetan people’s uprising’ and collecting ‘intelligence’ to send to Tibetans in exile.” Anya, an anti corruption activist, was charged with a seven year sentence in 2019 after being accused of using WeChat groups to “lead local residents against the government.” Anya’s wife alleges that Chinese authorities detained Anya in retaliation for him accusing Chinese officials of embezzling poverty alleviation funds that were designated to resettle nomads.
CECC Recommendations to members of Congress and Administration officials as per the Annual Report:
- Enact the Tibetan Policy and Support Act of 2020, which was passed at the end of December of 2020.
- Appoint a Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues at a rank at equal or above an under secretary rank.
- Encourage the CCP to respect religious freedom and cease interference of Tibetan Buddhism.
- Urge the CCP to re-continue dialogue with the Dalai Lama and refrain from framing the Dalai Lama as a security threat.
- Call for the CCP to release political prisoners who are detained for peacefully exercising their demand for human rights.
- Urge the CCP to allow a member of an international organization to meet Gedhun Choekyi Nyima (the Panchen Lama), whom the CCP imposed forced disappearance in 1995
-Report filed by Office of Tibet, Washington DC