IANS released a Saturday report claiming that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) remains actively engaged in policies designed to dilute Tibetan cultural identity—targeting the region’s language, faith, and traditions.
Using satellite shots, the report documented that authorities have removed the “Om Mani Padme Hum” mantra etched into hillside rocks and have replaced it with the Chinese national flag. Tibetan nomads were reportedly told to exchange their traditional Mani prayer flags for Chinese‑produced versions and were coerced into political indoctrination sessions.
A story from Sri Lanka’s prominent outlet, Ceylon Wire News, added that “The cultural repression in Tibet reached a new low after Chinese authorities burnt traditional prayer flags under the pretext of fire hazard control. The incineration of the flags comes on the heels of earlier incidents involving the removal, replacement, or manipulation of traditional Mani prayer flags found throughout Tibet. Locals labelled it as an escalation in Beijing’s efforts to erase visible Tibetan religious traditions,” the publication wrote.
The report went on to quote the publication, stating that “The past few years have witnessed several incidents of removal and demolition of Mani flags and wheels by Chinese officials for unreasonable, illogical and dubious reasons. As the Tibetans celebrated the 90th birthday of the spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, Chinese authorities imposed several restrictions on the movement and religious practices in the region. Those who refused to be a part of Beijing’s ‘re-education programme’ — a national assimilation plan — were subjected to arbitrary detention on fabricated charges, long‑term imprisonment, and systemic social exclusion.”
Italian sociologist of religions Massimo Introvigne described the forced removal of prayer flags as both “offence and sacrilege.” The expert was quoted as saying, “The CCP is trying to destroy Tibetan religion and culture, leaving only a ‘Disneyfied’ version for the benefit of naive tourists. This effort is decade‑old, but has increased under Xi Jinping. The prayer flags are the very soul of Tibet. Even those who are not Buddhist should protest this new manifestation of cultural genocide,” according to the Ceylon Wire News.
The report also notes that approximately 300 Buddhist stupas were destroyed in Tibet’s Kham region in mid‑2025.
The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) criticized the demolitions as blatant cultural vandalism that has deeply traumatized Tibetans worldwide. It said, “Chinese officials have cynically justified the destruction by claiming the stupas were built on ‘government land’ and violated unspecified regulations. The stone debris from the sacred structures has been completely cleared, erasing all traces of these centuries‑old symbols of faith.”
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