China receives six pro-China Tibetans from Swiss with red carpet, encourages them to convert others
By Youdung Tsomo
DHARAMSALA 10 July: China has accorded a red carpet reception to six Pro-China Tibetans from Switzerland during their visit to Tibet to meet their family members and relatives.
According to a report on the official webpage of the Dechen (Chinese Yunnan) province United Front Work Department, Six Pro-China Tibetans from Swiss namely, Jisu Lobsang Palden, Jisu Losang Thuktsey and four others were received with gifts and incentives by the director and Deputy Director of the United Front Work Department(UFWD) of the State Party Committee in the Dechen County in the Traditional Tibetan Province of Kham.
The report noted that the Tibetans were rewarded to continue their loyalty to the party and to encourage them to direct more Tibetans across the diaspora to adhere to the Chinese Communist Party(CCP) ideologies.
UFWD is a Chinese communist party agency overseeing its influence campaign worldwide. China uses the agency to co-opt and neutralise sources of potential opposition to the policies and authority of its ruling CCP. It is also the agency responsible for coordinating these kinds of influence operations—mostly focuses on the management of potential opposition groups inside China, but it also has an important foreign influence mission.
The report described the six Tibetans on the Chinese payroll as a happy lot and that they have expressed immense joy at being able to come back to their motherland.
Though they were scheduled to embark on the trip earlier, the Covid-19 pandemic has reportedly delayed their visit till now.
However, they have expressed their gratitude to the Chinese Government and the CCP and stated in the report that they were under the care of the Chinese government and the party though the visit could not materialise till now.
Additionally, the six Tibetans have also thanked the Chinese Government for the warm reception accorded to them and pledged their commitment to protecting China’s sovereignty, development and promoting unity.
To align with Beijing’s propaganda, the UFWD’s director has called on the six Tibetans to exchange their first-hand experience and observations on the developments in Tibet to encourage and attract more Tibetans in line with the party’s propaganda.
