UK MP expresses concern over expanding network of Chinese schools in Tibet

Lhasa [Tibet], March 30 : United Kingdom has raised concern over the expanding network of Chinese schools in Tibet where cultural coercion is being allegedly practised on little children, who are being brainwashed through colonial and communist tools.

Free Tibet, an NGO, has shared a video of Tim Loughton, MP and co-chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet, and of Dr Gyal Lo on its official Twitter handle. The former is heard thanking the latter for informing him about the network of Chinese colonial boarding schools in Tibet.

Loughton, in the video, is heard saying, "So, I am really pleased we've got Dr Gyal Lo here in Parliament today, and he's been able to meet a lot of my parliamentary colleagues who are part of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet."

He adds, "Our job is to flag up what's going on in Tibet to expose the abuses that are constantly going on against People within Tibet, within China, and beyond China as well."

"It's really shocking to hear about what is going on in the so-called colonial boarding schools, when a more than a million children have effectively been kidnapped and indoctrinated with Chinese propaganda and Chinese language, trying to completely eradicate all traces of their Tibetan heritage," he adds.

In the video shared by Free Tibet, Loughton is also heard saying, "I'm afraid the Chinese Communist Party Government will stop at nothing and abusing children in this way is completely outrageous and is another form of genocide that we know the Chinese are capable of waging against people within its own borders, so, it's absolutely right we've got Dr Gyal Lo here today to spread that word and we will use it as much as possible to continue putting pressure on the Chinese Communist Government for the blatant breaches of human rights, and the flouting of international laws and norms and we must stand up to them and call them out and that's what we'll continue to do."

A worrisome situation continues to persist in Tibet, as the youth there are forbidden from fleeing Chinese boarding schools and are even barred from entering the local temple or taking part in any Tibetan festival.

Since 2020, Chinese authorities in Tibetan and Inner Mongolian areas have implemented the unified Chinese textbook system making Chinese medium education mandatory in schools at all levels and grades.

Both state and private schools are required to adopt the new sinicized textbooks, which mostly contain Party propaganda and exclude contents relevant to Tibetan culture and language.

At least since 2012, private initiatives to promote the Tibetan language and culture have been suppressed, and individuals advocating for Tibetan language and cultural education have been allegedly detained and tortured.

Private educational institutions previously approved by the authorities are being allegedly closed down while monastic institutions are being forced allegedly to prioritise Mandarin Chinese teaching and propagation.