Tibetan exiled leader accuses China of destroying Tibet’s identity, calls it ‘cultural genocide’

Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh) [India] July 23 (ANI): Penpa Tsering, the new leader of the Tibetan government-in-exile, has slammed Beijing for destroying Tibet’s identity. He also called on the US and other democratic forces to unite to counter Beijing.

Tsering became the new president of the Tibetan government-in-exile, which is based in the northern Indian city of Dharamsala, in late May, Nikkei Asia reported. “More and more Chinese are moving into Tibet. The majority community is completely overwhelming our minority community and destroying its identity, amounting to a certain level of cultural genocide,” Tsering said.

He pointed to the installation of surveillance cameras in Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, saying that ” Tibetan Buddhists’ freedom of religion is being violated.” “China is the only country which spends more money on internal security than external security. All that money is put on repressive measures against the minorities,” Tsering told Nikkei Asia. He also hailed a joint statement from the leaders of the Group of Seven major industrialized countries at their summit in Cornwall, England, in June, which referred to human rights issues in China.

Chinese troops occupied Tibet in 1950 and later annexed it. The 1959 Tibetan uprising saw violent clashes between Tibetan residents and Chinese forces. The 14th Dalai Lama fled to neighboring India after the failed uprising against Chinese rule. The Dalai Lama, the supreme Tibetan Buddhist leader, established a government-in-exile in India. There are at present more than 10,000 Tibetans living in Dharamsala alone, and an estimated 160,000 Tibetan exiles around the world, Nikkei Asia reported.

Last week, Tsering had said that religious leader Dalai Lama wants to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi if the COVID-19 situation becomes better. (ANI)