Tibet lawmakers vow ‘high pressure’ against alleged separatists

Tibet lawmakers vow ‘high pressure’ against alleged separatists

by AFP Staff Writers

Beijing (AFP) Mar 6, 2025

Lawmakers from Tibet on Thursday hailed recent economic progress and vowed to keep “high pressure” on alleged separatists in the region, where Beijing stands accused of widespread repression of minorities.

Sparsely populated Tibet, which borders India, is one of China’s poorest and most tightly controlled provinces.

Lawmakers from the region convened in Beijing for the country’s annual “Two Sessions” political conclave on Thursday.

The Tibet region’s GDP was up 6.3 percent in 2024 — higher than the national average — and disposable income per capita rose for both urban and rural residents, according to a government statement.

Local lawmakers added that stability was “improving” — but warned it was necessary to maintain “high pressure” on alleged secessionists.

China annexed Tibet in the 1950s, and the government has cracked down on rare protests since.

Delegates also hailed “sinicisation” of Tibetan Buddhism, which the ruling Communist Party is accused of suppressing, adding that more than 90 percent of “community leaders” now had basic knowledge of Mandarin.

Chinese authorities have in recent years shuttered several schools that promote Tibetan language and culture, rights groups say.

The government statement did not mention recent disaster relief efforts or a controversial hydropower project.

At least 126 people were killed in January when an earthquake struck the remote region, with rebuilding efforts still ongoing.

And Beijing has touted a planned mega-dam on a river that runs through Tibet and India, linking it to carbon neutrality targets and economic goals in the Tibet region.

India has raised concerns over the project and environmentalists have warned about the irreversible impact of such projects in the ecologically sensitive plateau.

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