NEW DELHI: China’s policies in Tibet have been the subject of much controversy and debate. In this conversation on The Gist, Penpa Tsering, Sikyong, or president of the Central Tibetan Administration, underscores the scale of China’s assault on local customs and traditions. Children, he said, are being taken away from their parents and sent to state-run residential schools where they are taught in Mandarin. There’s no attempt to teach them Tibetan, which is their mother tongue. The whole effort is to wipe out Tibet’s culture and Sinicise it, he said. In his view, all this stemmed from Xi Jinping’s insecurity despite centralizing power and authority in his hands. The economic downturn has added to his insecurities with the budget for internal security continuing to rise, he pointed out. China is one country where the internal security budget is more than the defence budget. Tune in for more in this conversation with Penpa Tsering.
