The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) and Tibetans in-exile have welcomed the UN human rights experts’ communication raising concern over the Chinese government ‘s colonial-style residential schools and its assimilationist impact on Tibet an cultural and national identity .
“…We would like to bring to the attention of your Excellency’s Government information we have received concerning what appears to amount to a policy of acculturation and assimilation of the Tibetan culture into the dominant Han Chinese majority, through a series of oppressive actions against Tibetan educational,
These UN experts raised serious concerns over China’s vast network of colonial boarding schools in Tibet while also asking several questions to China about its “policy of acculturation and assimilation of the Tibetan culture.
Human rights group estimate that nearly one million Tibetan children, ages ranging from 4 to 18, are currently forcibly enrolled and placed in Chinese boarding schools in Tibet away from their families, depriving them of the opportunity and the space to learn and acquaint themselves with their own religion, culture, and language.
Tenzin Lekshay, spokesperson of the Tibetan government-in-exile said there is a very systemic practice that China has been enclosing to assimilate Tibetan people and Tibetan culture under the framework of second-generation policy which intends to marginalize the Tibetan language and Tibetan culture.
Lekshay said the Tibetan children are facing psychological and emotional traumas. And therefore, he said UN expert concerns are timely CTA welcomes concerns shown by the special Rapporteurs and we felt that China needs to consider the voice of the people.
“From the very beginning we urge the United Nations and international agencies to look after the systematic Chinese assimilation especially in the Chinese colonial education system so we showed our dissatisfaction and meanwhile we requested the international community to raise voices in support of Tibetans to call up so-called colonial boarding schools so now we highly welcome the support shown by the United Nations,” he said.