Beijing’s discriminatory passport policies are part of a systematic effort to control Tibetan spiritual and cultural identity through mobility restrictions. 

– By Tenzin Dalha, The Diplomat

For centuries, pilgrimages have formed the spiritual backbone of Tibetan Buddhist culture. These sacred journeys to holy sites within and outside Tibet are more than religious observances; they embody cultural continuity, family connections, and collective identity. Today, however, the Chinese government’s restrictive travel policies have transformed these fundamental expressions of faith into exercises in state surveillance and control.

The disparity in passport access between Tibetan and Han citizens in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) exposes a troubling pattern of ethnic discrimination that violates international human rights standards. While freedom of movement is enshrined in Article 13 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Beijing’s policies effectively deny this basic right to Tibet’s indigenous population.

Passport Paradox: Systematic Travel Restrictions in Tibet

For decades, Chinese authorities have systematically restricted the issuance of passports to Tibetans living in the TAR and other Tibetan-populated areas, while ethnic Han citizens enjoy unrestricted mobility both internationally and within these same regions. This creates a two-tiered hierarchical system of citizenship rights based purely on ethnicity.

The passport application process for Tibetans involves complex requirements designed to discourage travel. Applicants must secure guarantors who hold government positions and become personally liable for every action the passport holder takes abroad. Should the traveler engage in any activity deemed politically sensitive by the Chinese authorities, the guarantor could face job termination, loss of benefits, and impediment to career advances. This creates a network of enforced complicity where government employees naturally refuse to serve as guarantors, knowing the risks to their livelihood.

The system’s most insidious effect lies in turning families against each other. Tibetans who navigate the bureaucratic maze face intense pressure from relatives to abandon travel plans. Severe collective punishment to anyone who is deemed to have violated these agreements has deterred Tibetans from applying for passports. This creates self-regulating social control where families police themselves, doing the work of state surveillance without direct intervention.

Chinese authorities deny implementing systematic restrictions, attributing delays to routine “bureaucratic procedures.” However, the evidence contradicts these claims. The patterns are too consistent, the obstacles too specifically targeted, and the ethnic disparities too pronounced to be explained by administrative incompetence.

Plus, the restrictions extend beyond bureaucratic inconvenience. Authorities routinely confiscate existing passports from Tibetan citizens, effectively trapping them within China’s borders. These measures are most severe in regions that have witnessed political resistance, particularly in Ngaba (Aba) in Sichuan Province, the epicenter of self-immolation protests.

Beginning in early 2023, authorities have allowed limited passport applications by Tibetans under highly restrictive conditions, but these exceptions prove the rule. Travel approval is granted only for non-political purposes, requires extensive scrutiny by multiple agencies, and demands written assurances of return and political compliance.

The discrimination becomes unmistakable when comparing the treatment of different ethnic groups. Han residents of the same regions face minimal passport obstacles, require no guarantors, undergo no extended review, and face no collective punishment. This disparity reveals that restrictions are not about geography or security, but about ethnicity and political control. Click here to read more.