Religious Oppression in Tibet and its Impact on the Himalayan States

The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) dream for Tibet is to create socialism with Chinese characteristics. The broad suppression of Tibetan culture and religion aims to maintain party authority, and the international community has regarded its extreme, rights-violating methods as cultural genocide since 1950. The repressive policy is rooted in the Qing Dynasty’s annexation of Tibet, which informs the CCP’s view of the PRC’s territorial integrity, despite Tibet’s period of independence. Control over Tibet serves the CCP’s goal to restore China’s past imperial boundaries, a response to the Hundred Years of Humiliation and ongoing border disputes with India over contested territories. Without control over Tibet, the CCP fears that hostile external forces may have an opportunity to impinge on the CCP’s China.