US Imposes Visa Restrictions on Chinese Officials Amidst Controversy over Forced Assimilation of Tibetan Children

The United States has announced new visa restrictions against Chinese officials suspected of involvement in the alleged "forced assimilation of more than 1 million children in state-run boarding schools in Tibet." Secretary of State Antony Blinken called on Beijing to end its "coercive policies in the culturally-distinct far western region." The coercive policies, according to Blinken, aim to eliminate Tibet's linguistic, cultural, and religious traditions among younger Tibetans. These policies involve forcing Tibetan children into government-run boarding schools where they are required to complete a curriculum in Mandarin Chinese with little to no study of Tibetan language, history, and culture.

As a result, Tibetan children are losing their ability to communicate with their families and experiencing a erosion of their identity. The United Nations has expressed concern over the residential school system in Tibet, calling it a "mandatory large-scale program intended to assimilate Tibetans into majority Han culture." The system has reportedly expanded as rural schools are closed, leading to the separation of approximately 1 million children from their families. These children are being subjected to mandatory education in Mandarin Chinese, further eroding their native language and cultural identity.

The United States' new visa restrictions come amidst ongoing tensions between Washington and Beijing on issues ranging from trade to human rights violations. In response to the US move, China has dismissed the allegations as "smears" that seriously undermine China-US relations. A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington stated that boarding schools in China's ethnic minority areas are established to cater to the needs of the local population. They argued that the centralized way of running schools effectively solves the problem of ethnic minority students' difficulty in accessing education.

The United States has appointed Uzra Zeya as Tibet coordinator, whose role is to promote dialogue between China and the Dalai Lama and protect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of the Tibetan people. The coordinator's office, established by the Tibetan Policy Act of 2002, focuses on addressing the cultural genocide and control exercised by Beijing over Tibet.

Tibet has a history of alternating between independence and control by China, which claims to have peacefully liberated the region in 1951. However, the Dalai Lama and advocacy groups argue that the Chinese government seeks to assimilate Tibetans and erode their cultural distinctiveness. The Dalai Lama, who fled into exile in India in 1959, has raised awareness about Tibet internationally but has expressed concerns over Beijing's interference in the selection of his successor.