China’s military, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), has introduced compulsory military service for young people in Tibet.
The reason may be twofold. First, they aim to weaken Tibetan culture by separating young people from their traditional way of life.
This furthers China’s goal of assimilating Tibetans into the dominant Han Chinese culture (Sinicization).
Second, the PLA hopes to deploy these Tibetan recruits in high-altitude border regions with India.
Here, regular Chinese soldiers often struggle with altitude sickness, while Tibetans, accustomed to the harsh conditions, would be better suited for such deployments.
The Chinese government in Tibet, following a decision by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), now requires all students to participate in military training starting from 8th grade, which is around 13 years old.
This new rule, according to media reports, will be mandatory and refusal to comply will mean loss of access to scholarships, higher education opportunities, and other unspecified benefits.
Article 5 in the agreement stated that the Tibetan army would slowly be integrated into the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), China’s national military.
The stated purpose of this programme, called the Military Development Course for Youth, is to train young Tibetan men to have military skills.
There’s a possibility that these students could then be deployed to the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the disputed border between China and India.
The Chinese government is actively recruiting Tibetans into the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
Last December, the PLA recruitment office in Khamba County announced that Tibetans could have a promising career in the military.
To encourage enlistment, they raised the upper age limit for Tibetan recruits from 24 to 26 years old.
Additionally, PLA recruiting centers in some Tibetan counties are gathering data on young men, suggesting the Chinese government is interested in the number of potential Tibetan applicants.
China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) recruits Tibetans for two main reasons.
First, mandatory military service allows the PLA to promote integration with China by teaching “Chinese values” to Tibetans.
This is because many Tibetans have maintained their traditions despite decades of Chinese rule.
Second, the PLA wants soldiers who can perform well at high altitudes.
During the Ladakh standoff with India, many PLA soldiers from China’s eastern plains suffered from altitude sickness.
Tibetan soldiers, accustomed to the high altitude environment, would have a significant advantage.
This would also reduce the need to deploy soldiers from eastern China to challenging climate zones.
Some historical context may be useful here. In 1950, the Tibetan army suffered a defeat at the battle of Chamdo and the governor of Kham province, Ngabo Ngawang Jigme, surrendered to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
This military setback weakened Tibet’s position and opened the way for Mao Zedong to pressure the Dalai Lama’s government into negotiations.
Sources familiar with the situation, who wished to remain anonymous, reported on intelligence suggesting at least two batches of around 100 Tibetan youths each had been recruited.
These talks resulted in the 17-Point Agreement, signed by Ngabo in Beijing. Importantly, Ngabo was a prisoner of war at the time, and the agreement heavily favoured China, with the PLA being mentioned prominently in five of its seventeen articles.
Article 5 in the agreement stated that the Tibetan army would slowly be integrated into the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), China’s national military.
However, despite this clause, the Tibetan army likely never truly became part of the PLA.
This was possibly due to an attitude known as “Han chauvinism,” which refers to a belief in the superiority of the Han Chinese ethnicity.
This prejudice might have created tension and prevented full integration of the Tibetan troops.
A declassified CIA report from the 1980s sheds light on why the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) didn’t recruit Tibetans earlier.
The report, titled “Confidential Study on Deployment of Chinese Occupational Force in Tibet” and written by Tashi Chutter, a Tibetan researcher, reveals that social class was the main factor in choosing Tibetan recruits before 1980.
Sons of wealthy families, former aristocrats, farmers, and those with relatives involved in anti-Chinese rebellions were entirely excluded.
Only young men from poor families with no history of dissent and good health were eligible to join the PLA.
Chutter explained that Deng Xiaoping’s “Open Door Policy” brought significant changes to Tibetan recruitment in the Chinese army.
Previously, the social class determined who could be recruited. Now, everyone was considered equally.
Education was a higher priority, with at least a primary school education required.
Additionally, the language barrier that caused problems in the past between Tibetan recruits and Chinese instructors was reduced to an extent.
In China, the military recruits Tibetan youths for the PLA during the winter months when farm work slows down.
To join, recruits must be 18 or older, at least 150 cm tall, and weigh at least 42.5 kg.
They also undergo a thorough medical exam. Traditionally, recruitment happened at local military offices led by older retired officers.
These offices used to draft around 250-300 men per year. However, recently, the number of recruits has been dropping because young Tibetans are less interested in joining the PLA due to a lack of perceived future opportunities after their service.
In 2021, news emerged suggesting China’s military was building new militia units.
These militias recruited young Tibetan men in the strategically important Chumbi Valley, located in the Tibet Autonomous Region.
The recruited Tibetans might be used for propaganda purposes, promoting the Chinese government’s narrative about Tibet and working in border areas.
This move was seen as part of China’s efforts to increase Tibetan recruitment in the military, particularly during the ongoing border tensions with India along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Sources familiar with the situation, who wished to remain anonymous, reported on intelligence suggesting at least two batches of around 100 Tibetan youths each had been recruited.
One batch had finished training with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and was deployed across various locations in the Chumbi Valley, including Yadong, Cheema, Rinchengang, PB Thang, and Phari.
The sources, citing intelligence reports and intercepted communications, further stated that the second batch was undergoing training at a PLA facility in Phari.
Interestingly, these militias reportedly operated without uniforms or ranks at that time.
According to sources interviewed by Radio Free Asia, Tibetan schoolchildren at the time faced mandatory military training during their summer break.
This move by Chinese authorities was an attempt to weaken the children’s connection to their Tibetan culture.
At the same time, it aims to instill the ideology of China’s Communist Party more deeply in the young people.
This Special Recruitment Drive seems to target every household in the Lhasa region, with quotas for militia units.
Media reports mention new Tibetan units with names like “Snow Wolf” and “Snow Fox,” and some of these recruits have already been deployed near the border with India.
The training includes blessings from Tibetan monks, and interestingly, the PLA seems to be focusing on youths of mixed Tibetan and Han heritage.
The Chinese government is tightening its grip on Tibetan Buddhism. Monasteries, which are central to traditional Tibetan education, are now forbidden from teaching it.
This is part of a larger plan by the Chinese Communist Party, led by Xi Jinping, to assimilate Tibetans.
They aim to erase Tibetan culture and traditions, including their unique language, by suppressing religious practices and cultural expression.
This isn’t new. The controversial military training program for young Tibetans is another example.
Solidarity and advocacy efforts are crucial to counteracting China’s destructive agenda and upholding the rights of Tibetan communities.
By teaching Chinese language, values, and nationalism to children from a young age, the CCP hopes to mold the future of Tibet to serve its own political agenda.
Ultimately, these policies aim to weaken Tibetan cultural identity and make resistance to Chinese rule more difficult.
People believe this is a move to tighten control over Tibet and improve the PLA’s understanding of the region.
The recruited Tibetans might be used for propaganda purposes, promoting the Chinese government’s narrative about Tibet and working in border areas.
While some Tibetans are already serving in the military, they are unlikely to reach high positions due to lingering distrust from the Chinese government.
The coming year might see even more pressure on Tibetans to join the military, with potential consequences for future interactions with India.
In conclusion, China’s compulsory conscription of Tibetan youths exploits them for military purposes while eroding Tibetan culture and autonomy.
This coercive measure, alongside cultural suppression tactics and discriminatory practices, constitutes a grave violation of human rights.
The international community must vehemently condemn China’s oppressive actions and advocate for the preservation of Tibetan identity and freedoms.
Solidarity and advocacy efforts are crucial to counteracting China’s destructive agenda and upholding the rights of Tibetan communities.
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