December 23 2019 The Chinese regime forcibly removed nearly three thousand Tibetan herders from their traditional lands in Nagchu region of U Tsang, occupied Tibet.
Tibetans were rounded up and forced onto a number of convoys which headed off to Gongkar in the South of Tibet.The traditional Tibetan nomadic culture has been targeted for eradication, Tibetans who enjoyed the independence of living across Tibet’s grasslands and mountain valleys are promised a dream life of prosperity in ‘socialist paradise villages’.
What they get is a miserable existence in a concrete concentration camp, where they are entirely dependent upon their Chinese oppressors for fuel, food and power supplies.
Despondency, depression, alcoholism and other psychological illnesses become the new norm. This is precisely the broken and servile condition that China’s tyranny calculated, as part of its campaign to eliminate Tibetan cultural and national identity.
Please add your name to our petition opposing this genocidal assault upon Tibetan culture and calling for a response from the UN
Having placed Tibet under a suffocating military occupation since invading in 1950, with every village and town swarming with Chinese paramilitary, China’s regime has more recently completed its totalitarian grip on the Tibetan people through the implementation of CCTV surveillance, bio-metric identity cards and facial recognition systems. This high-tech tyranny has been rolled out across occupied Tibet ensuring instant monitoring and assessment of almost every aspect of daily activity, Tibetans are existing under a digital terrorism. One that has the objective of eradicating Tibetan national and cultural identity.
The Chinese regime is central to the administration, funding and expansion of this oppressive and intrusive system. To ensure ideological compliance and coordination of its cultural genocide against Tibetans it has launched a ‘Big Brother’ command center that links to operation rooms in various regions of Tibet. Titled the ‘National Security Command of the Tibet Autonomous Region (sic)’ this week it held an online conference session to “Fully promote the implementation of various stability maintenance measures in place, resolutely win and complete the “final war” of stability maintenance at the end of the year”. The latest dictates issued to its communist party zealots for implementation against the Tibetan people.
We thank our Twitter team for their resourceful work in securing these images,
Have you wondered why the issue of Tibet seems to have dropped off of the media radar? There has over the past few years been a remarkable silence, broken occasionally by reports of self-immolation protests. Yet increasingly the information coming out appears to have reduced dramatically. There’s one man who could offer an explanation, but he’s something of a biased participant. Mr Chen Quanguo the communist Chinese party (CCP) official directly responsible for imposing a mass surveillance system and ruthless police-state in occupied Tibet, and more recently within so-called Xinjiang (East Turkistan). Like this Chinese regime mobile facial recognition center below.
Image: businessinsider
This communist Chinese regime psychopath, formerly Party Secretary (2011-2016) in the Tibetan region known as U-Tsang, devised a strategy of control that divided Tibet using a grid-system. Into each was established Chinese police stations at regular intervals across the entire region which formed an inter-locked, inescapable security presence. He also organized, through bribery and intimidation Tibetan households to spy on each other. This was assigned the euphemism of the “double-linked household management system.”
These draconian measures were not enough for Quanguo, he also throttled and distorted the flow of information, cracking down on relatively independent news sources, replacing them with media outlets loyal to the CCP. He transformed ‘Tibetan’ TV new channels into 24/7 conduits for Chinese regime propaganda. Anyone having satellite television was required, by fear of prison, torture and forced labor, to have only a reception fixed to channels approved by the authorities.
From what information which has emerged by the end of 2016, Quanguo had built over 700 police stations, which are called ‘convenience police stations,’ and created 81,140 ‘double-linked households’ that monitored around three million Tibetans.
With a seemingly limitless budget, he vastly increased the number of Chinese ‘police’ in occupied Tibet and played a key role in the introduction and expansion of technological surveillance which has added to the infrastructure of daily oppression and fear experienced by Tibetans. CCTV now monitors virtually every street, roads, public space in towns across occupied Tibet. This has been augmented recently by the implementation of facial-recognition systems, engineered, installed and maintained by Chinese tech-corporations such as Huawei, Sense Time, CIMC and Tencent Technology (which enjoy fruitful commercial and research relations with western companies and institutions such as MIT).
Below selected Tibetans pose for the launch of a facial recognition system in local banks in downtown Lhasa. Notice what looks like a Master Card logo on the cash-machine?
Image: archivenet
Such disturbing surveillance is being enhanced by a program of bio-metric identity cards forced upon Tibetans. Without which the meager support (housing rights, fuel or food supplies) offered by the occupying Chinese authorities is withheld. Meanwhile, the internet, social media and cellphone apps such as Tik-Tok are monitored and censor any mention of human rights, Tibet or the Dalai Lama.
Image: getty
Having successfully engineered complete and effective totalitarian control over the Tibetan population Quanguo was appointed to target a similar system of oppression and surveillance against the people in neighboring East Turkistan (so-called Xinjiang). Which he is presently realizing, having criminalized Uyghur culture and identity, forced countless thousands into concentration camps and detained huge numbers of infants within indoctrination centers. While the potential of big-data, AI and facial-recognition systems is discussed across western media, some regarding the expanding technology as offering positive social opportunities, Chen Quanguo and his thuggish comrades within the CCP have reminded the wider-world of the very genuine dangers such advances present.
Having taken office in occupied East Turkistan Chen Quangou has applied all the lessons of surveillance and oppression from his time in occupied Tibet to target and suppress Uyghurs. Facial recognition cameras (circled) in the city of Kashgar.
Image: archivenet
Apart from violating basic freedom such as the right-to-privacy, the unique bio-data of an individual, monitored, recorded and stolen by the hands of tyrannical regimes such as China’s enables greater restrictions and supervision. Eroding civil and political rights while empowering the capacity of a government to impose an increasing spiral of oppressive social, economic and political controls.
Nepal’s Prime Minister Sharma Oli an arch appeaser of China’s regime and oppressor of Tibetan refugees
Image; archivenet
In 2015 the mountainous land of Nepal, which borders occupied Tibet was hit by a massive earthquake. There was much loss-of-life and destruction. Yet the natural disaster which struck resulted in tremendous courage, and sacrifice as people banded together to rescue survivors, bring relief and hope.
A little reported component of such humanitarian efforts was the contribution made by the Tibetan refugee community within Nepal, who despite their marginalized and impoverished status demonstrated an inspiring sense of compassion and generosity. Tibetan monks and nuns organized food supplies, offered transport to medical centers, formed human chains removing rubble and provided shelter and comfort. Donations were raised from the wider Tibetan Diaspora and made to the Nepalese authorities.
Despite such a compassionate response there was no statement of thanks from Nepal’s government, it was as if the Tibetans were invisible to them. The reason for that callous indifference is that the corrupted Nepali authority is an active collaborator of China’s regime and for its appeasement receives considerable funding.
This has resulted to a policy of oppression against local Tibetans who live under constant fear, denied freedom-of-assembly or any expression of dissent. While those Tibetans who manage to escape from occupied Tibet find their desperate appeals for sanctuary denied by the Nepalese border force. They are detained, chained and handed over to the Chinese authorities to face torture, forced labor and years of misery.
On Sunday October 13, during a visit to Nepal China’s Xi Jinping met with Nepali Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli. During which the Chinese dictator announced that: “Anyone attempting to split China will be crushed and any external force backing such attempts will be deemed by the Chinese people as pipe-dreaming,”. His remarks reflect ongoing pressure from the Chinese regime upon Nepal to intensify their oppressive measures against local Tibetans. Responding Mr. Oli said his country will never allow any force to use its territory for separatist (sic) activities against China.
Clearly Nepal’s government has a very short memory and values its lucrative relations with the blood-stained Chinese regime above the contributions, culture and rights of its Tibetan refugees.
Leading fashion brands in staged fashion (propaganda) show in Lhasa, occupied Tibet, September 3, 2019
Image: palennyima/chinadaily
On Tuesday, September 3 the Chinese regime authorized in Lhasa, occupied Tibet what was reported to be an ‘international fashion show’. There are many such events promoted by China’s propagandist outlets, across social media and the internet.
It’s a clever deception targeting a western audience, a cynical psy-op to mislead and distract from the traumatizing reality of Chinese rule in Tibet. Fashion, after all, is considered a form of high culture, a beauteous design reflecting modernity. To stage such shows in Tibet offers the oppressors and torturers of the Tibetan people an opportunity to cement in the perception of an occidental mind the notion that China has brought positive development and economic progress.
It also provides the vultures of commerce a chance to profit, which no doubt explains why the following fashion brands were actively involved in the Lhasa event: Chopard, Max Mara, Lane Crawford, Dazzle, Ports 1961, Brunello Cuccinelli, Mikimoto, Mr & Mrs Italy
Yet as their designers, costumers, cosmetic artists, hair stylists and photographers assembled in Lhasa what consideration was given to the condition and suffering Tibetans beyond the show’s security perimeter?
Of course we know the answer, right? A willing collaboration with the Chinese authorities reveals a cold indifference to the misery, injustice, tyranny and torture inflicted upon Tibetans, beyond the four-star venue and hotels which accommodated these companies.
Next time you go to the mall, keep an eye open for products from those fashion brands and ask yourself if anyone supporting freedom and human rights would in all conscience be comfortable with buying any of their products?
Reports from occupied Tibet this week reveal the ongoing assault against Tibetan culture, a number of images showing Tibetan infants being militarized at a local propaganda event aimed at glorifying the Chinese regime’s military. These are of course the very same forces which violently oppress the Tibetan people, in a drive to indoctrinate Tibet’s children they are also deployed as brainwashing units. Holding up China’s occupying army as heroes and ‘protectors of the people’.
Meanwhile in Lhasa on May 15 Chinese surveillance personnel and propagandists were pumping out the latest edicts from the Chinese regime as part of the relentless psyop against Tibetans.
Across the water in a land where its government is often heard to boast of traditions of democracy and human-rights something is very rotten.
This week a Minister of the UK authorities, Gavin Williamson, wassummararilly dismissed from his post by Theresa May, the reason you may wonder?Well, there had been a leak of information to the media from a security star chamber called the National Security Council (NSC). This gathering is attended by Ministers, heads of MI6,GCHQ,MI5 and counter-terrorism police, they are all bound by what’s termed the Official Secrets Act. Which is effectively a state gagging order, violation of which is punishable as a crime.
A rapidly assembled inquiry was launched and within a couple of days the Prime Minister had laidresponsibility for the disclosure at the door of Mr Williamson. He had it was claimedbreached the security protocols and convention of supreme confidentiality under which the NSCoperates. What’s more there wastalk of him being open to prosecution. As it stands hecontinuesto vigorously denysuchcharges and has called for an inquiry into the affair.
Image:wsj
What would be revealed if such an investigation was allowed to delve into events which lead to the release of press reports that Theresa May was considering allowing controversial Chinese communications and tech corporation Huawei a contract in constructing a 5G network within the UK?
In all probabilitysuch an examination is not likely as there may well be too many politically sensitive skeletons rattling around, which could prove damagingly embarrassing to the Prime Minister’s government and her Conservative Party. There’s already an indication that the matter is being slammed down with yesterday’s announcement by the Metropolitan Police thatthe disclosure did not constitute a criminal offence, Nor it was claimeddid the informationreleasedbreach the Official Secrets Act.
The UK political establishment operates a policy of active appeasement towards the Chinese regime. indicated here as the British equivalent of the White House is decorated to celebrate the Spring New Year
Image:cgtn
“I am satisfied that what was disclosed did not contain information that would breach the Official Secrets Act,”said Neil Basu, head of the Met’s specialist operations. “I have considered all the information available to me andI have takenlegal advice.I am satisfied that the disclosure did not amount to a criminal offence either under the Official Secrets Act (OSA) or misconduct in a public office. No crime has been committed and this is not a matter for the police.”(Source: The Guardian 5/4/2019)
John Browne, formerly Lead Non-Executive Director of David Cameron’s Conservative Government, now Chair at Huawei UK
Image: standford.edu
This statementraises an interesting possible legal defense for future whistle-blowers who couldargue that it‘s not the action itself which defines if the OSA has been breached but the nature of information. From the government‘s perspective it does something more important, eliminates the risk of exposure within a court, it also returns complete control to them. Who can now bury this controversy deeply away from what could be dangerous further scrutiny. Before exploring further some interesting connections between the UK government, former Ministers and officials with Huawei let‘s change the focus.
Andrew Cahn, formerly headed David Cameron’s Conservative Government on UK Trade & Investment. SInce 2011 a Non-Executive Director of Huawei Technologies UK
Image: dailymail
While the UK government struggles to justify it’s reported approval of allowingHuawei to engineer the 5G network across Britain, or reassure its allies that any potential security risk can be contained the Chinese corporation is a key facilitator in the oppression of the Tibetan people. Not that the political establishment in London extends any substantial concern towards the plight of Tibet, especially when engaged in lucrative commercial partnerships with Chinese corporations!
Yet if they bothered to carefully assess the role of Huawei in occupied Tibet they would soon realize that its insistence on being an independent business, not influenced or constrained by China’s regimeis palpable nonsense. Like all major corporations within China Huawei is deeply and actively enmeshed with the political machinery of the Chinese state, without the sanction of the authorities it would not exist. It cannot operate without the approval of Xi Jinping and his regime. We are not though talking of a well intentioned company that happens to be under the control of China’s totalitarian tyranny, Huaweiis an engaged player, fully subscribed to the extreme politicalideology which aims to expand Chinese political, military and national interests.
John Suffolk, formerly Chief Information Officer for David Cameron’s Conservative Government. Now Senior Vice President and the Global Cyber Security & Privacy Officer for Huawei
Image: desibelajans
This is shown by its suffocating presence in Tibet where it has been constructing a range of communication and security networks, the purpose of which is to monitor Tibetans, intruding into every aspect of their daily living.Establishing an extensive CCTV coverage, creating facial recognition systems and security barriers at Tibetan monasteries and other public locations.Working in collusion with other Chinese communication providers it has engineered a surveillance network which monitors social-media and telephone systems to identity any dissent against China’s regime.
Image:tibetfr
In this regardit is partnering in the repressive assault against Tibetan cultural and national identity, a collaboration which should be of serious concern to governments, including of that of the United Kingdom, which claim to place the highest value upon human rights and freedoms. Yet it‘sinterest is directed towards strengtheningties with Huawei, even to the extent of jeopardizing security alliances with the USA and other countries.
The prospect of trade and the significant profits which flow from collaborating with the Chinese technology giant are presented as being in the interest of the nation, enablingeconomic and performance benefits fron the latest network platform. Such claims, of course, are open to debate and should be measured against handing over control of communications infrastructure to an arm of the Chinese state.
Facial recognition systems are being rolled out across China and occupied lands such as Tibet and East Turkistan.
Image:scmp
While the advantages of 5G are promoted as offering a digital revolution such technology also affords a totalitarian state disturbing levels of increased social control and surveillance. That is already happening within China, facilitated by Huawei, while there are now three 5G base-stations operating inside occupied Tibet. One, at the LhasaPost and Telecommunications School, the other two are installed at the office of the TibetPost Group in Lhasa, and in China Mobile’s Tibet branch building.
Image: archivenet
It‘s said that power corrupts, in realityitprobably reveals an inherent capacity for venality, is such self-interest at the heart of this controversy? Have prominent figures linked to the UK Government and Conservative Party profited from Huawei? Was it coincidental that fairly senior people associated with former Prime Minister David Cameron’s administration were offered and accepted prominent executive positions onto the board of HuaweiUK? Clearly finance has dominated the scene since Huawei promised in 2012 that it would be investing £1.3 billion in the British economy.!
Whatever the facts, which look set to be confined indefinitely to the archives, in defending its partnership with Huawei and risking the integrity of its communications network and national security the UK authorities are collaborating with a corporation which is enabling the violent oppression and 24/7 surveillance of the Tibetan people!
Sera monastery, Lhasa, Tibet, now an indoctrination center and tourist attraction
Image: archivenet
For anyone selfish or unthinking enough to take a vacation to Lhasa its likely they will join a tour to Sera Monastery just north of the Tibetan capital. There they can see monks enjoying Buddhist debate, marvel at the traditional architecture and absorb the peaceful environs at which Buddhism is flourishing.
Meanwhile behind that staged show of supposed cultural freedom a darker reality exists for Tibetans, although you would not come into contact with that during your tightly controlled and monitored time at Sera.
Dictator Xi jinping prominently displayed within Sera Monastery
Image: Eric Baculinao
We wonder how such tourists would feel about their Tibet trip had they been in attendance at a March 13 meeting in Sera during which a panel of Tibetan collaborators (Lhakpa Tsering ‘Lhasa, Monastery Management Committee Director’, Tsetan Dorje, ‘Manager Sera monastery’ and Jampa Kelsang, ‘Media and Education Committee Director’ Sera Monastery) addressed some three hundred monks. Insisting that they should “… feel grateful to the Chinese government and show their loyalty to the nation by obeying the country’s laws,”.
Tibet’s religious centers are now under occupation by Chinese paramilitary and the thought-police of China’s regime
Image: Tsering Woeser
Surrounded by Chinese paramilitary police, security officials and ‘management’ staff the monks were ordered to stand against what was described as ‘sepratism’. They were also warned of a series of prohibitions regarding online activity, including posting any information the regime considers sensitive.
Tourists, undercover Chinese officials and paramilitary mingle within Lhasa’s Jokhang temple
Image: Tsering Woeser
The meeting concluded with an exultation ‘re-pay China’s generosity in Tibet and demonstrate loyalty to Beijing and love for the top leadership of China’s ruling Communist Party.’.
Sera monastery is in truth no longer a center for Buddhist learning, like monasteries across Tibet it is an indoctrination facility, placed under a suffocating control by the thought-police of the Chinese regime.
Sera monastery is effectively a prison in which its Tibetan Buddhist inmates are under 24/7 surveillance and forced to perform for tourists.
Image: Tsering Woeser
It also has another function, one that exploits the wonderment, gullibility and ignorance of those who travel to Lhasa for an exotic vacation. It’s calculated and tightly controlled illusion of a thriving Tibetan Buddhist culture is an important propaganda tool to manipulate and deceive.
Tibetan Puppets On China’s String, Performing In Lhasa, March 23 2019
Image:newscn
No other political authority reaches the excesses of China’s regime when it comes to the deployment of euphemism. Within its monolithic structure there’s a dedicated team engineering pretentious titles to deflect from or mask the odious realities of China’s tyranny.
Take the phrase democratic reform used by China to describe a ‘process’ born it claims from Tibetans, who we are asked to believe appealed for the Chinese authorities to suppress the Lhasa Uprising of 1959. Following that military response the ‘reforms’ were launched with devastating consequences for the Tibetan people and their culture.
Apart from being a calculated deception it is of course an oxymoron of titanic proportions that a totalitarian, self-described communist state, headed by the dictator Mao Zedong could describe the cultural genocide which followed as a democratic transformation.
Whatever injustices existed withing Tibetan society were replaced by a foreign military occupation, mass arrests, forced labor camps, political thought-control, and the armed imposition of policies which targeted Tibetan culture as ideologically corrupt and regressive.
Like a serial kleptomanic who has come to believe his delusional insistence that thievery is economic redistribution, the Chinese government regards its deranged falsehoods as legitimate. In truth the so-called ‘reforms’ it celebrates are a political fiction and no amount of smiling Tibetan dancers performing in the front of Lhasa’s Potala Palace will change that fact.
A Tibetan rides past one of the many propaganda displays in Rebgong (Amdo region of Tibet) exhorting Chinese dictator Xi Jinping
Image:ap
Thanks to the immense courage of local Tibetans who take a genuine risk in making such information available reports have emerged during the past few days of Tibetans living in Rebgong རེབ་གོང་, རེབ་ཀོང་ located within Amdo region of occupied Tibet being subjected to intensified oppression. With movements restricted, increased surveillance and musicians and beggars banned from streets. These measures are a response from China’s regime to suppress any show of dissent against its illegal and violent rule, particularly during the month of March, which on previous occasions has witnessed Tibetan uprisings and mass protests.
TIBET, ACTIVISM AND INFORMATION 