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As China orchestrates a grand celebration marking the 60th anniversary of the so-called Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), it unveils not just a commemorative logo, but a calculated narrative shift—insisting on the term “Xizang” in all official communications. This is no benign rebranding. It is an Orwellian erasure, a political maneuver to overwrite centuries of Tibetan identity with a Sinicized label.

In a display of diplomatic retaliation laced with authoritarian bravado, China has imposed visa restrictions on U.S. personnel accused of “behaving badly” on Tibet-related issues. This tit-for-tat move follows Washington’s March 31 announcement of visa restrictions against Chinese officials responsible for denying access to Tibet—a remote region where truth is suppressed behind heavily fortified gates.

In the stillness of Tibet’s highlands, his name once carried warmth. Tulku Hungkar Dorje Rinpoche was known not only for his teachings but for his quiet acts of compassion. He built schools for nomad children, opened clinics for the poor, and turned his monastery in Gade County into a refuge of both faith and service.

In the vast, militarized landscape of China's western frontier sits the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. A place rich in ancient trade and culture, but sadly, now synonymous with state-sponsored horror. Renowned for its network of internment camps, mass surveillance, and systematic attempts to erase Uyghur identity, Xinjiang has recently become the center of a disturbing trend: a significant expansion of organ transplant infrastructure in an area that has one of the lowest rates of voluntary organ donations in China.

The scale of the program this year is the largest since the initiative began in the 1980s, underscoring a long-term state strategy to educate Tibetan youth outside their homeland under a Mandarin-dominant, state-directed system.

In yet another brazen display of disregard for human rights and international scrutiny, China has ignored a damning letter from 13 United Nations Special Rapporteurs condemning the construction of the Kamtok Dam in Dege County, Tibet. The letter, dated 8 July 2024, was made public on 6 September after Beijing predictably failed to respond within the given 60-day deadline. The dam project, which threatens to forcibly displace thousands of Tibetans, destroy centuries-old monasteries, and wreak environmental havoc, has faced vehement local opposition since its proposal in 2012.

On 15 May, Hong Kong Watch hosted a panel discussion on transnational repression (TNR) against journalists in the House of Lords, in collaboration with International Human Rights Advisors (#IHR Advisors) and the International Bar Association Human Rights Institute (#IBAHRI).

South Korea’s transformation from one of Asia’s safest countries in terms of drug abuse to a growing trafficking target has been swift and much of that shift is now being traced back to criminal networks operating out of China.

In a pivotal session of the Rajya Sabha, Sikkim MP Dorjee Tshering Lepcha has called on the central government to revise the terminology used for the northern frontier. Lepcha urged the government to replace the term "China border" with "Tibet border," arguing that the 1,400-kilometer stretch from Leh, Ladakh, and Arunachal Pradesh to Sikkim more accurately borders Tibet than China. He appealed to the Indian government and military agencies, including the Indian Army and the Border Roads Organization (BRO), to officially recognize this distinction.

In a historic move on June 12, 2024, the U.S. Congress passed the Promoting a Resolution to the Tibet-China Dispute Act, a bipartisan bill designed to support Tibet and counter China's oppressive policies. This legislation represents a bold and necessary stand against China's ongoing human rights abuses and its decades-long attempt to erase Tibetan identity and culture.