Tibetan refugee Cheogyal Dawa says China's ethnic unity law threatens Tibetan culture

Cheogyal Dawa, a 25‑year‑old Tibetan who recently fled China for a refugee centre in Kathmandu, described his emotional reaction to seeing a portrait of the Dalai Lama – a image banned inside China. He said the sight made him feel he had finally reached safety.

Dawa’s account highlights the broader crackdown on Tibetan culture under Chinese President Xi Jinping, who has pushed a policy of “Sinicizing” religion and ethnic minorities. On July 1, China enacted a sweeping ethnic unity law that Beijing says is meant to forge a strong national community, but rights groups warn it deepens forced assimilation and language erasure. A day after the law took effect, a Tibetan activist self‑immolated in front of the United Nations headquarters in New York, underscoring the heightened anxiety among the Tibetan diaspora. The Chinese Communist Party also maintains sole authority over the succession of the 91‑year‑old Dalai Lama, a point of contention for exiled Tibetans.