https://apnews.com/article/india-china-tibet-protest-65ae6d643e6805f5d7f767b5af57fab9#
As China celebrates the 75th anniversary of the Communist Party in leadership, the Tibetan Youth Congress protested in New Delhi against the Chinese repression of Tibetan culture. Police became physical with some of the crowd, wrestling, and detaining protesters as they attempted to enter the Chinese Embassy. One protester, Sonam Tenzim demanded the “Chinese Communist government to stop the cultural genocide in Tibet. We urge the international community to support the just cause of Tibet”. This is after the Central Tibetan Administration (CTE), or the Tibetan government which is currently located in India, accused the Chinese government of extermination of the Tibetan identity, and denying human rights to Tibetans in both China and Tibet. The Dalai Lama, Tibet’s spiritual leader, has rejected China’s claim that he is a separatist. Instead, he argues that he advocates for the protection and preservation of Buddhist culture in his home country.
Because of China’s treatment of Tibetans, a large portion have immigrated to live in India, where their government and spiritual leader currently also reside. Under Chinese rule, Tibetans face severe travel bans, and repression of culture, language, and religion. This protest was not a surprise, seeing as China forcefully annexed Tibet and has persecuted Tibetan citizens since the 1950s, especially after a failed Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule in 1959.
This is a tough situation, and it’s hard to tell how each country involved will respond to the protest. India and China are allies, however, India has taken in many Tibetan refugees, including the Tibetan government. India and Tibet have cultural ties and India has long been an ally towards Tibet, which leads me to believe this could cause a rift in Chinese and Indian relations. Seeing as they have attempted to slander the Dalai Lama’s name, the Chinese government will most likely continue the harsh treatment of Tibetans, potentially restricting them even more after these protests.