Human Rights Watch Accuses China of Forcibly Urbanizing Tibetans

China faces accusations of accelerating the forced urbanization of Tibetan villagers and herders, a move seen as an attempt to assimilate the ethnic minority through control over their language and traditional Buddhist culture. Human Rights Watch's extensive report uncovers internal Chinese reports contradicting official claims of voluntary relocations.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) has issued a scathing report accusing China of intensifying its forced urbanization of Tibetan villagers and herders. The non-profit organization cites a trove of Chinese internal reports that contradict official pronouncements that all Tibetans who have been forced to move, with their past homes destroyed on departure, did so voluntarily.

The relocations are part of a broader pattern of coercing ethnic minorities, including Tibetans, Uyghurs, Mongolians, and others, to adopt the state language of Mandarin and pledge allegiance to the ruling Communist Party in western and northern territories. China claims Tibet has been part of its territory for centuries, although it only established firm control over the Himalayan region after the Communist Party came to power in 1949.

HRW's report highlights that these coercive tactics stem from pressure on local officials by higher authorities, who characterize the relocation program as a non-negotiable, politically critical policy from Beijing or Lhasa. This leaves local officials with no flexibility in implementation and requires them to obtain 100 percent agreement from affected villagers to relocate.

Official statistics suggest that by the end of 2025, over 930,000 rural Tibetans will have been relocated to urban centers, where they are deprived of their traditional sources of income and face difficulties finding work. Tibet's regional capital, Lhasa, and other large towns, have attracted a large influx of migrants from China's dominant Han ethnic group, who dominate politics and the economy.

More than three million of the 4.5 million Tibetans in rural areas have been forced to build homes and give up their traditional nomadic lifestyles based on yak herding and agriculture. These relocations severely damage Tibetan culture and ways of life, as most former farmers and pastoralists are moved to areas where they cannot practice their traditional livelihoods and must seek work as wage laborers.

China has consistently defended its policies in Tibet as bringing stability and development to a strategically important border region. However, the region witnessed anti-government protests in 2008, leading to a severe military crackdown. Foreigners must apply for special permission to visit, and journalists are largely barred, except for those working for Chinese state media outlets.

China regularly dismisses accusations of human rights abuses in Tibetan regions as "groundless accusations" aimed at tarnishing its image. Last August, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin stated that the human rights conditions in Tibet are at their historical best, with a booming economy, social harmony, and the full protection of cultural heritage.

However, China's claims of eradicating extreme poverty by relocating isolated homes and tiny villages into larger communities with better access to services have not been independently verified. China's economic growth has slowed amidst an aging population and high youth unemployment, despite the growing overseas market share of Chinese industries such as electric vehicles and mobile phones.

In its report, HRW calls for support for academic institutions to conduct regular and independent surveys of affected communities and recommends corrective action based on their views. The organization also urges the UN Human Rights Council to undertake an impartial and independent investigation into human rights violations committed by the Chinese government in Tibet, Xinjiang, Hong Kong, and across China.