Representative Thinlay Chukki Highlights Growing Challenges to Tibet’s Cultural and Religious Identity At “Fenix” Event in Rome
At the National Youth “Fenix” event in Rome, Thinlay Chukki, Representative of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) at the Tibet Bureau in Geneva, delivered a live online address highlighting continuing concerns over human rights, religious freedom, and the preservation of Tibetan linguistic and cultural identity under the policies of the People’s Republic of China.
In her address, Representative Thinlay Chukki underscored the continuing erosion of Tibet’s distinct linguistic, cultural and religious identity and stressed the urgent need for sustained international attention to policies affecting the fundamental rights and freedoms of the Tibetan people. She emphasised that preserving and transmitting Tibet’s language, culture, religion and traditions remain essential to safeguarding the identity and heritage of the Tibetan people.
Particular attention was drawn to restrictions affecting religious freedom and Tibetan cultural and linguistic expression, including increasing pressure on the use of the Tibetan language in education and public life. The Representative also highlighted concerns surrounding the “Law on Promoting Ethnic Unity and Progress”, which Tibetan representatives and human rights advocates have raised in connection with the preservation of Tibetan identity, language and cultural rights.
Representative Thinlay Chukki emphasised the importance of continued engagement by governments, parliamentarians, international institutions and civil society. She called for sustained attention to universal human rights principles and for respect for the rights of Tibetans to preserve and freely transmit their language, culture, religion and way of life.
The programme was attended by Claudio Cardelli, President of the Italy-Tibet Association; National Councillors Pier Francesco Quaglietti and Nicola Misiani; and Umbria Representative Moreno Primieri. Leonardo Mallozzi, President of La Consolazione–ETAB, and its councillors Gianluca Moretti and Annalisa Aluigi also participated in the event.
The event provided a broader platform for discussion of the human rights situations of Tibetans, Uyghurs and other communities affected by restrictive policies in China. A representative of the World Uyghur Congress also addressed concerns relating to Uyghur cultural identity, religious freedom, family separation, surveillance and the challenges faced by Uyghurs living abroad.
