Geneva — Thinlay Chukki, representative of the Office of Tibet in Geneva, has expressed deep concern about the large-scale construction of reservoirs by the Chinese government in Tibet. The Chinese government is forcibly relocating Tibetan nomads, farmers and large numbers of monks and nuns without any consultation with local communities. These Chinese projects are not only changing the natural landscape of Tibet, but also posing a serious threat to the survival of Tibetan cultural traditions and way of life.
According to the Office of Tibet in Geneva, Representative Thinlay Chukki attended a side event on the situation of persecuted communities in China, organised by the Society for Threatened Peoples as part of the ongoing the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council, to discuss the Chinese Communist government's crimes against ethnic and religious minorities on March 18, 2025.
The event was also attended by human rights activists Lebin Ding, a survivor and son of imprisoned Falun Gong practitioner; Dolkun Isa, the former President of the World Uyghur Congress; and Erbakit Otarbay, an ethnic Kazakh who survived the reeducation camps in East Turkestan (so called Xinjiang), along with representatives from the Chinese Christian Community as well as from 13 participating countries. Puntsok Topgyal, the UN Advocacy Officer, and Sangye Kyab, Chinese Liason Officer, from the Tibet Bureau Geneva also joined in the event.
Representative Thinley Chukki spoke to the assembly about three major issues concerning the Tibetan language, culture, religion and environment.
The representative emphasised that safeguarding Tibet's unique identity is a vital concern, as there is a real risk that it will not survive. Tibetan children in Tibet are forcibly separated from their families and placed in Chinese boarding schools where Chinese is the main language, and the Tibetan language, culture and traditions are being eroded day by day.
The second point highlighted was the suppression of religious freedom. Representative Thinlay Chukki expressed her deep concern at the continued repression of religious freedoms in Tibet by the Chinese government, in particular the ban on displaying portraits of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Tibetan homes. She also recalled that 30 years have passed since the disappearance of the 11th Panchen Lama of Tibet. Despite constant calls from the international community to find out where he is, the Chinese government has still not provided any clear answers.
The third theme was environmental protection and social well-being. Representative Thinlay Chukki expressed his deep concern about the large-scale construction of reservoirs in Tibet by the Chinese government. In the process, Tibetan nomads, farmers and large numbers of monks and nuns are being forcibly relocated without any consultation with local communities. These Chinese projects are not only changing the natural landscape of Tibet, but also posing a serious threat to the survival of Tibetan cultural traditions and way of life.
To justify the suppression of religious freedom in Tibet by the PRC, representative Thinley Chukki quoted an extract from His Holiness the Dalai Lama's latest book, Voice for the voiceless, over seven decades of struggle with China for my land and my people: “On the religious front, there is a new policy of direct control by the Party over monasteries and nunneries, imposing intensified surveillance and control over monastic communities. I am told that today, many monasteries have police stations within their compounds. Tibetan monasteries are also being forced to have Communist Chinese officials within the administration of the monasteries’ management. This tightening of control over the Tibetan people’s religious life, especially in monasteries, began in 2017 with a specific policy adopted by China’s State Council Regulation on Religious Affairs. In brief, various new regulations are being introduced, all aimed at what the Chinese authorities call promoting “Tibetan Buddhism with Chinese characteristics.” One of these new regulations mandates that the monastic curriculum must include courses on politics, laws, regulations, policies, Chinese language, and the history of the relationship between Tibet and the “motherland.” As for the general Tibetan populace, I am informed that in Lhasa and elsewhere, there has been a significant increase in pervasive surveillance of everyday life and internet use. Community leaders, environmental campaigners, philanthropists, and social activists are especially targeted”
