Tibetan panel condemns China's closure of educational institutions

The Tibet Policy Institute (TPI) organised a panel discussion titled “Forced Closure of Ragya Sherig Norling Educational Institution: Causes and Impacts”, moderated by its Deputy Director Zamalha Tempa Gyaltsen.

Key participants included MP Pema Tso, Director of the Tibet Policy Institute Dawa Tsering, and Tibet Watch alumnus and researcher Shede Dawa.

The Chinese government recently closed a key vocational high school in Qinghai province, a Tibetan area, adding to a series of closures of Tibetan private schools in recent years.

During the discussion, Pema Tso highlighted the difficulties faced by Ragya Tsering Norling and expressed his initial disbelief at its sudden closure on July 14 while accessing education via mobile. He emphasized the institution’s important role in Tibetan education, from where more than 2,200 students graduate, and provided historical context about its founder, General Jigme Gyaltsen.

Based on his personal experiences, Shede Dawa emphasised General Jigme Gyaltsen's commitment to preserving Tibetan language and culture despite his humble beginnings. He recalled his transformation from indifference to dedication under the guidance of General Jigme and underlined the importance of the institute in nurturing Tibetan identity.

The panel, which also comprised MPs, additional secretaries and representatives of NGOs, condemned the closure and its adverse impact on Tibetan cultural and educational institutions.

According to the report, there is a deliberate effort to promote Mandarin Chinese instead of the Tibetan language in education and public discourse. Restrictions on Tibetan language education are increasing, with Mandarin becoming the primary language of instruction in many schools. There are limits on teaching Tibetan language in higher education institutions, reducing opportunities for the Tibetan language to develop.

A recent report by the International Campaign for Tibet highlights the significant challenges faced by Tibetans on Chinese social media platforms such as Douyin, which is part of China's strategy to undermine Tibetan language and culture in favour of promoting Mandarin.

Despite Chinese claims to support minority languages, including Tibetan, there has been no official response to Tibetan protests against these discriminatory practices. The report details that Tibetans face barriers such as restricted livestreams and comments in the Tibetan language, severely limiting their online participation.

Even Tibetan medical professionals struggle to communicate effectively in the Tibetan language due to language restrictions imposed by the platform. These actions are described as deliberate attempts to suppress Tibetan cultural expression as well as increase the dominance of Mandarin, which contradicts official claims of respect for ethnic minority languages.

The International Campaign for Tibet has criticised the strict censorship and monitoring of Tibetan-related content on platforms such as Douyin, which it sees as part of the Chinese Communist Party's broader agenda to control narratives and suppress dissent.