The Chinese Communist Party has a terrifying plan for Tibet's children: close to one million Tibetans, between four and 18 years old, have been forced into colonial boarding schools. There they are cut off from their homes, their families, their language, and their way of life. At the same time, Tibetan-language schools are being shut down and demolished.
The policies are aimed at dismantling Tibetan society and have already had a devastating impact. In the words of Dr Gyal Lo, a leading expert on these schools: “The Chinese government is tearing families apart and forcing these vulnerable children to become strangers to their own Tibetan culture.”
Tibetans are resisting this dangerous plan, and the tide now seems to be turning: UN human rights experts have condemned the CCP’s boarding school system, most recently the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which recommended that China “immediately abolish the coerced residential school system imposed on Tibetan children.”
This is a key moment - the United Nations spoke up. Now governments must follow.
Take our action calling on governments to:
- Publicly denounce China's attempts to eradicate Tibetans' distinct identity, which have threatened the survival of Tibetan language, history, culture, and way of life.
- Urge the Chinese government to cease the residential boarding school and preschool system and the closure of Tibetan-language schools with immediate effect.