China Fingered in Alleged Promotion of Colonial Boarding Schools in Tibet
China has ramped up its propaganda efforts to promote boarding schools in occupied Tibet. There have been reports circulating in the Chinese media about these schools with exaggerated and misleading claims.
The colonial boarding schools, which the Chinese government refers to as "education and training centres," have been a controversial topic since they were established in 2016. The Chinese government claims these schools are designed to "combat poverty and improve the education of Tibetan children". However, the truth is that they are a tool for political indoctrination and cultural assimilation.
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Recently, China's state-run newspaper, China Daily, published an article claiming that boarding schools in Tibet are "narrowing the rural-urban education gap in the region".
Contrary to what Chinese state media outlets have been reporting, the boarding school in question is not an educational initiative aimed at improving the lives of Tibetan children. Instead, it is part of a larger campaign of cultural assimilation and control.
The Chinese news outlet, Global Times, published an article titled "Boarding schools in Xizang: A cradle of growth with humane care" authored by Zhaluo. In the article, the author claimed that boarding schools in "Xizang (China often used this term to denote Tibet) provide excellent care and education for the children of Tibetans".
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When asked, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson dismissed the issue as "just another allegation meant to mislead the public about China and smear China's image," adding that "as is commonly seen around the world, there are boarding schools across Chinese provinces and regions to meet the need of the local students".
This comes after China received widespread international criticism for running these schools. Recently, UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights issued the “Concluding Observations” on its third periodic review of China, calling for an end to forced relocations and the state-run boarding school system in Tibet. In December 2022, Congressional-Executive Commission on China Chairs wrote to the UN calling for an investigation into China separating Tibet schoolchildren from their families and communities and forcing them into state-run boarding schools.
Meanwhile, China came under scrutiny as the Asian giant is accused of robbing Balochistan of its natural resources through its Belt and Road Initiative.
Balochistan, one of the four provinces and the largest province of Pakistan, is located in the southwestern region of the country.
China is said to be stealing from the treasure trove of Balochistan through China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and making it impoverished with a per capita GDP under USD 1,000.
Source: Legit.ng