Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, March 2: Chinese authorities in Tibet have imposed sweeping restrictions on Tibetan government employees, barring them from a wide range of religious activities, including participation in funeral rites for deceased family members, amid intensified security measures during this year’s Losar, the Tibetan New Year.
The measures, reported by the Dharamshala-based Tibetan-language outlet Tibet Times and corroborated by sources in Lhasa, indicate a tightening of controls beyond those typically enforced during sensitive anniversaries and major cultural occasions.
According to sources cited in the report, Tibetans employed in government positions have been strictly forbidden from engaging in religious practices. While they are technically allowed to visit major religious sites such as the Jokhang Temple (Tsuglakhang) and the Potala Palace during Losar, their presence is limited to sightseeing purposes only.
They are expressly prohibited from offering prayers, making ritual offerings, performing prostrations, or displaying any other forms of religious devotion. Authorities reportedly warned that such acts would constitute violations of Communist Party discipline.
The restrictions extend into private family life. Government employees are said to be barred not only from participating in public religious ceremonies but also from attending last rites, weekly memorial prayer services, and cremation rituals for their own deceased relatives. A Lhasa resident told TT that even the traditional seventh-day prayers for the departed cannot be attended by those in state employment.
While security deployments ahead of Losar are a recurring feature in Tibet’s capital, this year’s measures were described as more stringent than usual. Like in 2023, additional troops were deployed across Lhasa, particularly around religious and cultural landmarks.
Numerous new surveillance cameras were reportedly installed at strategic points, including along the Barkhor circuit surrounding the Jokhang Temple. The movement of residents was closely monitored, with Tibetans frequently stopped for questioning. Personal belongings, including mobile phones, were searched for signs of alleged “wrongdoing.”
The traditional Losar visits by Tibetans to the Jokhang Temple and the Potala Palace were subject to tight control, with rigorous security checks and a visible police presence.
Despite the restrictive environment, Tibetans continued to share Losar greetings on personal social media accounts. Among the posts reportedly documented was an image of His Holiness the Dalai Lama with his hands folded in prayer, accompanied by wishes that the “spark of the Tibetan language spread in all directions” and prayers for the long life of the exiled spiritual leader.
Another widely shared image showed large crowds gathered in the Potala Square, bearing the caption: “May there be happiness in our homeland.”
In parallel with the religious restrictions, authorities announced enforcement measures ostensibly aimed at improving public safety and traffic discipline in Lhasa. A Lhasa City Integrated Traffic Law Enforcement Team reportedly inspected 593 motor vehicles and levied fines totalling over 320,000 yuan as part of a crackdown on what was described as illegal transportation activities.
Additionally, in conjunction with the 2026 New Year, authorities in TAR were said to have implemented a set of eight prohibited activities for Communist Party officials, issued by the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection of the Communist Party of China.
These regulations prohibit the use of public funds or property for personal gain, ban the solicitation of gifts or favors, and restrict party members from organizing or attending reunions with former classmates, colleagues, or comrades. The measures form part of the Party’s broader discipline and anti-corruption campaign, which has increasingly intersected with controls on personal conduct and religious expression among officials.
Tibetans must be clear eyed that communist China’s ultimate goal is to ERASE TIBETAN LANGUAGE, RELIGION, CULTURE AND IDENTITY! They want to Sinocise Tibetans and our identity into the Chinese identity so no one can distinguish a Tibetan from a Chinese! THIS IS CALLED CANCEL CULTURE! In other words, in the eyes of the Chinese chauvinist regime, Tibetan culture, religion and language and identity are UNACCEPTABLE TO THEM! Not to speak of one million children being torn away from their homes, culture,language and religion to be carved into prototype Chinese, they are banned from speaking their language, practising their Buddhist faith and keep their cultural traditions! Instead, they are forced to be Chinese by speaking only mandarin, constantly indoctrinated into communist ideology of hatred and violence and even forced to wear military fatigues! The Tibetans who are employed by the Chinese are restricted from going to monasteries on holy days and banned even from attending funerals! Both the young and the able bodied Tibetans are forced to be like Chinese, act like Chinese, think like Chinese and dress like Chinese! THIS IS TOTAL DISMANTLING OF THE UNIQUE FEATURE OF THE TIBETAN PEOPLE! THIS IS TEXT BOOK CULTURAL GENOCIDE! Tibetans must take action aggressively instead of pussyfooting around. THIS IS LIFE AND DEATH FOR THE TIBETAN PEOPLE! If this trend continues, in two or three generations time, TIBETANS WILL DISAPPEAR FOR GOOD! The generation who speaks Tibetan and practise their faith and culture will all be gone to be replaced by prototype creatures who look like Tibetans but DOES NOT HAVE AN INKLING OF TIBETAN IN THEM! WE MUST LOBBY AGGRESSIVELY IN ORDER TO STOP THE CHINESE CULTURAL GENOCIDE IN OCCUPIED TIBET! At the same time, we must not lose heart. As the ideological competition between the US and CCP heats up, there is bound to be a clash at some point in time either on Taiwan or clash of geopolitical interests. The CCP will suffer immense damage as the Americans will use their script of regime change on communist China just as it has done in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya, Syria and now Iran! THIS IS CARVED IN STONE AMERICAN POLICY. WATCH WHAT AMERICA IS GOING TO DO TO EFFECT REGIME CHANGE IN IRAN! THERE WILL BE LESSONS TO BE LEARNED BY TIBETANS FROM AMERICAN REGIME CHANGE TACTIC IN IRAN!