DHARAMSALA, 22 May: China is facing a “credibility crisis” in cultivating loyal Tibetan leaders within occupied Tibet, as part of its efforts to gain the trust of the Tibetan people by proxies to legitimise its colonial rule, says advocacy group, the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT). 

Tibetan leaders in occupied Tibet, who are on China’s payroll, have little to no credibility among the Tibetan people, according to ICT’s latest report. The advocacy group attributes this to China’s recent policies and training programs, which focus heavily on ideological indoctrination and loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party(CCP). 

The report draws a stark contrast with Tibetan leaders in earlier eras who worked with the CCP, such as Bapa Phuntsok Wangyal, Ngabo Ngawang Jigme and the 10th Pachen Lama,  arguing that despite political disagreements from the Tibetan people,  the leaders have shown their dedication to Tibet in their different ways.

It is noted that the number of Tibetan leaders in the upper echelons of the CCP’s decision-making structure remains low, with only three Tibetans holding top-level positions within the so-called Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR).