Brussels, 25 February: In a formal written question to the French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Deputy Charles de Courson of the French National Assembly raised an urgent alarm regarding the systematic erosion of Tibetan language and culture by the Chinese government. The inquiry centers on a critical policy shift slated for 2026, which will exclude Tibetan as a core subject from national university entrance examinations in Tibet. This administrative move is presented as the latest phase in a long-standing campaign of forced assimilation that threatens to render the Tibetan language obsolete within a generation.

Central to this “cultural genocide” is also the expansion of a mandatory colonial boarding school system. According to international reports and the 2023 European Parliament resolution, approximately one million Tibetan children, some as young as four, are being forcibly separated from their families to receive an education almost exclusively in Mandarin.

Echoing Dr Gyal Lo’s warnings who emphasises that if these policies persist, 70% of the Tibetan population could lose the ability to speak their native tongue by 2060, Mr de Courson calls for a firm diplomatic response from France to address violations of Tibetan culture, language, and China’s compliance with its international obligations, in particular the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which it has ratified.

The Parliamentary Question by Deputy de Courson follows numerous meetings with the Representative of His Holiness Rigzin Genkhang during which he received full briefings on the situation in Tibet. This initiative underscores growing concern within France regarding the future of Tibetan linguistic and cultural heritage.

In his formal response, Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs confirms France’s deep concern by the existence of a system of preschool boarding schools for young Tibetan children that threatens the transmission of Tibetan culture, language and religion to new generations and contravenes the fundamental rights of the child as recognised by the International Convention on the Rights of the Child. France expresses its concerns about human rights situation in Tibet in multilateral forums such as the Human Rights Council. Additionally, it is also echoed by the European Union in the context of the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue as well as under item 4 of the agenda UN Human Rights Council.

More broadly, France calls for the resumption of dialogue between His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s envoys and the Chinese authorities in order to find a lasting solution that respects Tibetan culture and language.

-Report filed by Office of Tibet, Brussels