Chinese Authorities Plan to Increase Surveillence and Security Measures in Tibet

April 4, 2013 by admin

According to a report released by Human Rights Watch, the Chinese government plans to significantly expand its surveillance program in the Tibetan Autonomous Region. Known as "grid management," this system enables officials to monitor the activities of key people and store a wealth of information on countless individuals in Tibet.

Authorities claim that the program is a necessary component of its efforts to maintain stability and better provide services in the region. In reality, however, the government likely intends to increase surveillance in order to more effectively track activists and suppress dissent. Moreover, some argue that imposing invasive surveillance technologies on every street corner will only exacerbate existing tensions in the region.

Interestingly, the report asserts that roughly 80% of Communist Party members in Tibet are ethnic Tibetans. Considering that Tibetans must renounce separatism and the Dalai Lama in order to join the Party, this disproportionately high number of Tibetan Party members suggests that the government uses the benefits of Party membership to promote assimilation in the region. Beyond recruiting new members, the government also paid 2,900 Tibetan Party members a total of $4.83 million in recognition of their efforts to support communist rule in the region.