No Space For Dissent, China Turns Occupied Tibet Into Panopticon
By Tenzin Chokyi
DHARAMSALA 17, Feb: Heavy state surveillance coupled with China’s authoritarian rule have effectively eradicated every space for dissent in occupied Tibet, the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) said in its latest report asserting that China has transformed occupied Tibet into a “panopticon”, where individuals are constantly conscious of being monitored, regardless of whether an actual observer is present.
The report titled ‘Dissenting Voices: The state of Expression in Tibet’ specifically contextualised the grim state of expression for the Tibetans and other marginalised communities under Colonial China, within the government’s policies and practices under incumbent President Xi Jinping.
It is stated that legal frameworks like “China’s Cybersecurity law,”, “National Security Law”, and “measures for rewards for citizens reporting behaviours endangering National Security” passed under Xi’s rule have been “weaponised to suppress dissent”, “justify surveillance” and “restrict the free flow of information”.
The Cyber Security law for instance mandates real-name registration for all internet users which is stated to be closely tied to the social credit system, enabling the state to track individuals and penalise dissent, effectively eliminating online anonymity.
Such mandates are stated to be particularly serious in regions like occupied Tibet. Tibetan regions like Machu County in the so -called Tibet autonomous region and Gansu province in the Tibetan province of Amdo are required to have an administrator of online groups to monitor the content posted by their members.
These regulations, the report claims, have led to the systemic crackdown on Digital Platforms Targeting Tibetan language and culture. Popular Tibetan websites that enable users to read and write in Tibetan like “Luksam Pelyon”, “Choemey Bhoe Ki Drawa”, “Gechoe Tzomru”, “Nasheon Sarpa”, “Choe Drog” and “Bod Kyi Keying” have been permanently closed under intensified crackdown under Xi’s aggressive assimilation policies.
The main contributors of the websites, mostly intellectuals and “thought leaders”, were either arrested or subjected to enforced disappearance. The report included details of 24 Tibetan writers and intellectuals, singers and thought leaders, arbitrarily arrested by the Chinese government on the grounds of “inciting separatism” and “endangering state-security”.
The Tibetan advocacy group based in Dharamsala stated that the digital crackdown is particularly serious as the Tibetan digital community in occupied Tibet has served as a vital sanctuary for sharing Tibetan culture, history, literature and personal expression since the mid 2000s amidst the very little avenue for free expression in occupied Tibet.
It further stated that the space for Tibetan language online is Shrinking with discriminatory practices such as account shutdown or reduced visibility for content created in Tibetan by popular Chinese apps like Douyin, kuaishou, Talkmate and Bilibili which are closely tied to the Chinese communist party.
The suppression of Tibetan digital platforms is seen as part of “China’s broader policy to prioritise Mandarin and restrict languages” of the marginalised/occupied communities in China.
The potential collapse of the Tibetan digital community in occupied Tibet is profoundly tragic, as the report highlights the near-total absence of spaces for offline dissents, especially following the 2015 law which criminalised the vaguely defined offence of “inciting rumour”.
The report concluded by declaring that “ this ambiguity has enabled the prosecution of not only activists and human rights advocates but also ordinary citizens expressing dissent in private conversations or on social media”.
