-By International Campaign for Tibet
As China tried to wipe the name Tibet off the map in 2023, Tibetans and their allies kept up relentless efforts to protect Tibetan culture while advancing new ways to bring the Tibet-China conflict to a resolution.
More than six decades since its occupation of Tibet began, China in 2023 made a push to replace the internationally recognized name “Tibet” with the Chinese-language word “Xizang.”
China also tried to systematically cut Tibetan culture off at the roots, forcing over 1 million Tibetan students into state-run boarding schools that separate them from their families, language and traditions.
The year that marked the 10th anniversary of Xi Jinping taking over as China’s president saw his campaign of “Sinification”—an effort to eliminate Tibetans’ unique identity and force them to assimilate—reach new levels of intensity. But at the same time, Tibetans resisted, overcoming government orders to avoid religious teachings and protesting China’s denial of justice.
Outside Tibet, Tibetan exiles raised the pressure on the Chinese government around the world, including pushing forward key legislation in the United States to help peacefully resolve the Tibet-China conflict.
“The year 2023 proved that Tibetans and their allies are steadfast in their commitment to their just cause and to the Middle Way policy of pursuing a negotiated solution with China to bring this conflict to a peaceful end,” said Tencho Gyatso, who became president of the International Campaign for Tibet this year. “What we need in 2024 is the international community to keep pushing China to get back to the negotiating table, and China to realize that its best chance for long-term stability in Tibet is to work with the Dalai Lama and Tibetans’ elected leaders.”
Click here to read more.