Palden Yeshi, a Tibetan monk and teacher from eastern Tibet, has reportedly been sentenced to six years in prison by Chinese authorities for teaching the Tibetan language to local children during school holidays, according to a report by the Dharamshala-based independent radio station Voice of Tibet (VoT).
He was a teacher at Karze Monastery in Tehor, Karze County, and was arrested on May 17, 2021, while serving at the monastery. According to sources cited by VoT, Chinese police suddenly arrived at the monastery and detained him without prior notice, forcibly taking him away.
Following his detention, authorities did not provide his family with clear information regarding the reasons for his arrest or the legal basis for the charges against him.
Sources indicate that the primary reason for his detention was his efforts to teach the Tibetan language to more than 300 local children during school holidays. The classes were reportedly organized for young students from nearby communities who wished to learn Tibetan reading and writing. Chinese authorities are believed to have deemed these voluntary language lessons illegal.
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In related news, China bars Tibetan government employees from religious rites and family funerals.
Tibetans employed in government positions have been strictly forbidden from engaging in religious practices. While they are technically allowed to visit major religious sites such as the Jokhang Temple (Tsuglakhang) and the Potala Palace during Losar, their presence is limited to sightseeing purposes only.
They are expressly prohibited from offering prayers, making ritual offerings, performing prostrations, or displaying any other forms of religious devotion. Authorities reportedly warned that such acts would constitute violations of Communist Party discipline.
The restrictions extend into private family life. Government employees are said to be barred not only from participating in public religious ceremonies but also from attending last rites, weekly memorial prayer services, and cremation rituals for their own deceased relatives. A Lhasa resident told TT that even the traditional seventh-day prayers for the departed cannot be attended by those in state employment.
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China's nationalistic tendencies and unification policies are its official stance. Its own government has admitted that some officials are overzealous in their pursuit for Han culture dominance. And they do little, if anything at all to curb these abuses, officially.
Ignorance is not logic. It's bias.
True, and I've noticed some underlying views in my conversations with Chinese people, but I'm still 99% sure this is made up given the source.
They have officially put minority rights into their constitution and leave Tibet significant autonomy. I've never been to Tibet so I can't speak towards the specifics of how it's implemented, but I doubt anyone here can either.
The comment I'm getting downvoted for is asking the only other person in this thread with direct experience to share their relevant experience. Who exactly are you calling ignorant, the person who has lived in China or the people whom uncritically accept hostile evidence?
I'm calling ignorant those who ignore or downplay the harm caused due to whatever reasons, regardless of affiliation. Doesn't matter who, doesn't matter why, those who suffer unjustly deserve their recognition.
Is it downplaying or ignoring harm to ask the other person who has experience "Hey does this match what you've observed? Can you help me contextualize my observations?"
Not if you both understand each other's position and work together honestly to expose the reality of the situation. Both helping victims who are hidden and uncovering when victims don't exist help those who need it. The prerequisite is doing this to defend the victims, not the governments in charge of them. The governments can protect themselves, they don't need our help at all.