By Tenzin Monlam
DHARAMSHALA, JAN 3: The Chinese government, in order to curb growing activities of ‘separatism’, has laid out new measures to further tighten security throughout Tibet border.
According to state-run English daily Global Times, the updated regulations have been in effect since Sunday and land ports, trade zones and scenic spots are also included in the new regulation, which expands the scope of the old regulation that has been in effect since 2000.
“The update of border regulation provides a legal foundation to combat potential terrorist activities in the future brought by the further opening-up of Tibet border,” said Wang Chunhuan, Deputy Director of the Tibet Academy of Social Sciences (TASS).
Acting upon Chinese President Xi Jinping’s advice ‘to govern the nation, we must govern our borders; to govern our borders, we must first stabilize Tibet’, the Chinese authorities have imposed more restrictions while pressurizing Tibetans from Tibet attending the Kalachakra Initiation to return before the teachings begin.
Chinese Communist Party’s head of Tibet Autonomous Region Wu Yingjie has recently stated that army troops in Tibet have built a steel Great Wall to defend the border and its presence must be solidified to ‘absolutely not allow any person, at any time, in any way, to separate out any part of Tibet.’
China also had confiscated passports from Tibetans to avoid them from attending the 34th Kalachakra initiation being presided over by the Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Bodh Gaya.
According to sources from Tibet, notices have been sent to families of those outside the country to report back immediately or face severe consequences.
Sources also say that the Chinese authorities might be recalling Tibetans from this Kalachakra because it is being organized by the Central Tibetan Administration.
