China Continues to Undermine Tibetan Culture Through Coercive Policies

Written By Dr Hugh Tuckfield

AP file photo

A man holds a girl as they pose for a photo in front of a large mural depicting Chinese President Xi Jinping, bottom center, and other Chinese leaders at a public square in Lhasa in western China’s Tibet Autonomous Region on June 1, 2021.

In the Human Rights Watch (HRW) report on China’s Forced Relocation of Rural Tibetans, China has accelerated the forced urbanization of rural Tibetans, moving them into towns and cities against their will, according to a report by HRW. The rights group accused China of violating Tibetans' rights to freedom of residence and movement through coercive policies aimed at assimilating them.

China has defended its policies in Tibet as bringing development and stability to the region. However, HRW stated that these policies are "radically undermining" Tibetans' ability to maintain their distinct culture, language, and traditions. The report cited evidence of Tibetans being forced to abandon pastoralist livelihoods and move into urban areas with substandard housing and limited employment opportunities.

HRW recommended that the UN Human Rights Council investigate human rights violations committed by China in Tibet and other areas. China has consistently restricted access to Tibet for foreign journalists and human rights monitors.

See the full report here.

Dr Hugh Tuckfield

Dr Hugh Tuckfield is the Founder and Executive Director of the Indo-Pacific Studies Center (IPSC). He is a geopolitical-risk analyst specialising in Chinese coercion and strategic pressure in the Indo-Pacific.

His doctoral research at the University of Sydney examined how China and the United States pressure smaller Indo-Pacific states to comply with international norms. That question of great-power coercion anchors his current work. His recent publications include a chapter on AUKUS, the Quad and Indo-Pacific minilateralism (Palgrave Macmillan, 2025).

Hugh has advised Australian state and federal governments and consulted to the UNDP. He has held fellowships at the University of Oxford and the WZB Berlin Social Science Center. An admitted barrister and solicitor, he began his career in financial markets.

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