CCP Promotes Brainwashing Education in Tibet Through Films and Storytelling to Strengthen Assimilation

Police officers in front of the Potala Palace. (People News)

[People News] The Chinese government is currently implementing a new round of "patriotic" education in ethnic minority regions, aimed at promoting "ethnic unity" and assimilating Tibetans and other minority groups into Han Chinese culture.

According to reports from Radio Free Asia’s Tibetan service, citing sources inside Tibet and official Chinese media, as Tibetan students return to school for the spring semester, they are being subjected to propaganda films portraying Chinese (CCP) soldiers as "heroic" and participating in storytelling competitions that praise the Communist Party’s greatness.

Two sources from Tibetan regions also revealed that students and teachers in Tibet are being instructed to abandon "superstitious" beliefs to eliminate the influence of Tibetan Buddhism.

Official media reports claim that this campaign is intended to foster "ethnic unity" and instill "red genes" in Tibetan children. Reports have also shown images of teachers playing propaganda films for students.

Two anonymous sources, speaking for security reasons, disclosed that teachers in Tibetan regions are required to explain in detail the "spirit and warmth of the Chinese nation" and guide students to learn about China's socialist system through the so-called "First Lesson of the School Year." Teachers must also enhance students' understanding of the "Four Consciousnesses" and the "Two Upholds"—ideological concepts tied to China’s modernization and maintaining the Communist Party's leadership under Xi Jinping.

"We are definitely seeing an increasing use of education for propaganda purposes," said Harsh V. Pant, vice president of the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi and a professor of international relations at King’s College London, in an interview with Radio Free Asia’s Tibetan service. "This will not only manifest in official policies but will also gradually shape the younger generation’s acceptance of a specific narrative regarding China (the CCP) and its role in Tibet."

Last month, the education bureau of Bianba County (also known as Banba County) in Chamdo, Tibet Autonomous Region, launched an online storytelling competition for primary and secondary school students. Participants were required to tell "red stories" about the greatness of the Communist Party. According to the official announcement, the competition received 44 video submissions, attracting over 100 students and parents. Additionally, students across Tibet watched a propaganda video about earthquake relief efforts in Dingri County in January, where a quake killed at least 126 people. The official video claimed that the disaster relief effort "integrated ideological and political education with real-life examples of post-earthquake rescue work."

This wave of propaganda education stems from the Patriotic Education Law, passed in October 2023, which grants central and local governments direct authority over patriotic education.

Anushka Saxena, a research analyst at the Takshashila Institution in Bangalore, India, told Radio Free Asia’s Tibetan service, "The Chinese government’s work reports place special emphasis on political and ideological education, ranking it as a priority alongside skills training. As a result, propaganda efforts in schools are likely to intensify."

The two sources also revealed that CCP authorities are mandating that Tibetan teachers and students eliminate religion and "superstitious" thinking from schools to reduce the influence of Tibetan Buddhism and Tibetan language education.

Additionally, on February 25, the Chinese government issued directives known as the "Two Absolute Prohibitions" and the "Five Absolute Restrictions," which strictly forbid religious dissemination in schools, the use of religious elements in the education system, and participation in any religious activities by teachers and students. The regulations also prohibit wearing or carrying religious symbols or attire on school premises.

"Teachers are required to report to authorities monthly, confirming that they have not taught any religious content. Meanwhile, many Tibetan teachers have been dismissed for 'insufficient Mandarin proficiency,'" said one of the sources.

Tsewang Dorji, a researcher at the Tibet Policy Institute in Dharamsala, India, told Radio Free Asia’s Tibetan service that these policies aim to strip Tibetan children of their Tibetan identity and cultural heritage. "Xi Jinping has emphasized education as a priority, which will intensify the implementation of these measures. If this political and ideological education policy continues for the next 10 to 20 years, the Tibetan language, Tibetan culture, Tibetan identity, and Tibetan Buddhism will face severe threats," Dorji warned.

(Translated from Radio Free Asia)