Human rights in Tibet

Human rights in Tibet has been a subject of intense international scrutiny and debate, particularly since the annexation of Tibet by the People's Republic of China. Before the 1950s, Tibet's social structure was marked by inequality and described as a caste-like system or, controversially, as serfdom. Severe punishments, including permanent mutilations of body parts, were common, although capital punishment was banned in 1913. Muslim warlord Ma Bufang caused widespread destruction and deaths in Amdo which is northeast of Central Tibet.

It is difficult to accurately determine the scope of human rights abuses in Tibet after 1950 because freedom of the press in China is absent and the media is tightly controlled by the Chinese government.^[1][2] The Asia Watch Committee's 1988 report underscores the significant challenges of addressing human rights issues in Tibet, largely due to the Chinese government's sensitivity about the topic and its efforts to suppress information about protests by Tibetans and human rights abuses, political prisoners, and population transfers. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) views discussions about human rights in Tibet by foreigners as unacceptable intrusions into its internal affairs.

Exile groups report that Tibetans in China are subjected to disappearances and torture, including electric shocks, cold exposure, and severe beatings. Hundreds have been killed in crackdowns, and thousands are arbitrarily detained. Amnesty International and the Committee Against Torture have reported allegations of systematic torture and ill-treatment of detainees in Tibet, in prisons like Drapchi Prison and the Sangyip Prison, which China has largely failed to address in its report on the implementation of the Convention Against Torture. Freedoms of speech, the press, and political expression are all suppressed or tightly controlled. Other methods which are employed by the Chinese authorities include heavy physical labor, "political investigation" sessions and re-education through labor.

Allegations of genocide have been made by Tibetan rights groups due to famines, civil conflicts, and population control policies which were imposed during Chinese rule, as well as a cultural genocide which was committed during the sinicization of Tibet;^[3] however, these claims are disputed by a stated lack of evidence and general increases in the Tibetan population, but a significant loss of life did occur during the 1950s and 1960s.

The Chinese government places strict limitations on the practice of Buddhism in Tibet. Public prayers for the 14th Dalai Lama are banned, and large religious gatherings require the government's approval. The authorities consistently discredit the 14th Dalai Lama by portraying him as a political figure rather than a religious figure, pressuring Tibetan Buddhists not to worship him.