Lhasa [Tibet], June 28 (ANI): Cultural liberty in Tibet is a myth as Tibetans under the Chinese administration are strictly forbidden to follow their religion.

In Tibet, those who are found practising their own religion, get arrested, beaten up and tortured brutally. While many of the arrested Tibetans were released after a deterioration in their health, Tibet Press reported, adding that the nuns and the monks are the targeted people of the Chinese.

According to Radio Free Asia sources in the region, Chinese authorities have long sought to restrict the size and influence of Tibetan Buddhist monasteries, traditionally a focus of Tibetan cultural and national identity.

In a recent "All China Religious Circles" conference" in the Tibetan capital, Lhasa on May 13, the need for impelling Tibet's long-term peace and stability and cohesive consensus on high-quality development was emphasized along with the sinicization of Tibetan Buddhism.

Aggressive promotion of Mandarin from the primary level of schooling of children from minority ethnic groups is part of this agenda contrary to China's purported "Bilingual Language Policy".

This conference was also attended by TAR Chairman Yan Sinhal.

Recently, US State Secretary Antony Blinken spoke at the release of the 2021 Report on International Religious Freedom at the State Department.

He mentioned that China prosecute religious followers and called it as contradicting the CCP's doctrine for destructing religious places and discriminating Tibetan Buddhists. Rashad Hussain, Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom who also spoke at the State department expressed that many governments use unfair laws to prosecute religious practitioners.

He stressed that China is still cracking down on Tibetan Buddhists. Authorities arrested, tortured and use other abuses against Tibetans who promotes their language and culture, keeps pictures and writings of the Dalai Lama or practiced their religion at Buddhist monasteries. The Report released is divided into four parts. They are categorized as Religious Demography, Status of Government Respect for Religious Freedom, Status of Societal Respect for Religious Freedom and US government Policy and Engagement.

Since their illegal occupation in Tibet, China has assaulted the rights of the Tibetan people to practise their own religion, language, tradition and culture. The Chinese authorities, in order to accomplish their sinicization mission, have attacked their cultural identity by making their language, Mandarin, the medium of instruction in the schools in Tibet from the primary level, reported The Singapore Post.

Chinese troops occupied Tibet in 1950 and later annexed it. The 1959 Tibetan uprising saw violent clashes between Tibetan residents and Chinese forces.

The 14th Dalai Lama fled to neighbouring India after the failed uprising against Chinese rule. The Dalai Lama, the supreme Tibetan Buddhist leader, established a government-in-exile in India. (ANI)