Dharamshala — The Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) released its 2025 annual report on the human rights situation in Tibet on Thursday, along with a special report on religious freedom in the region. It states that China arrested more than 90 Tibetans in 2025, according to confirmed reports, and we estimate that the actual number is higher, but that due to the lack of freedom in Tibet, these cases remain unknown.
The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) released the 2025 Annual Report on Human Rights Situation in Tibet and a Special Report on Religious Freedom in Tibet at it's Office, in Gangchen Kyishong, Dharamshala, on June 4, 2026.
Tenzin Dawa, Executive Director of Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy said, "Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy presents the 2025 Annual Report on the Human Rights Situation in Tibet in Tibetan, English, and Chinese, documenting the worsening human rights crisis in Tibet under the People's Republic of China throughout 2025. As Chinese authorities intensify efforts to consolidate political and ideological control, Tibetans continue to face severe restrictions on their fundamental freedoms, including religion, expression, education, cultural identity, and peaceful dissent."
"The year witnessed intensified state interference in Tibetan religious life and institutions. New measures further consolidated Party control over monasteries and religious practices, requiring monastic institutions to align more closely with CCP ideology. Heightened restrictions surrounding the 90th birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama illustrated the extent of China's fear of Tibetan religious identity, as authorities imposed sweeping security measures, intensified censorship, and cracked down on displays of devotion to the Tibetan spiritual leader," She added.
"At the same time, the erosion of Tibetan language and identity accelerated. Mandarin Chinese continued to dominate educational spaces, while new laws affecting early childhood education further reduced opportunities for Tibetan-medium learning. These measures form part of a broader state strategy to weaken intergenerational transmission of Tibetan language and culture," Dawa explained.
The Director of the TCHRD said, "The right to peaceful assembly remained heavily restricted throughout Tibet. Tibetans attempting to oppose environmentally destructive mining and infrastructure projects faced mass arrests, intimidation, surveillance, violence, and forms of collective punishment targeting entire communities. One of the most alarming cases documented during the reporting period involved the extrajudicial killing of Tibetan religious leader Tulku Hungkar Dorje in Vietnam following his detention during a joint operation involving Chinese and Vietnamese authorities. The case raised grave concerns regarding China's growing transnational repression and the targeting of Tibetan religious leaders and activists beyond its borders."
"This year's annual report highlights how state control in Tibet is no longer limited to overt political suppression but has evolved into a deeply institutionalised system affecting every aspect of Tibetan life, from faith and language to education, and personal expression," she mentioned.
"To foster transparency and accountability, China must allow unfettered access to Tibet for independent researchers, journalists, and UN Special Rapporteurs to enable an accurate understanding of conditions on the ground. The international community has a collective responsibility to urge China to uphold its human rights obligations and respect the rights of Tibetans inside Tibet," the Human Rights orgainsation demanded.
Dawa Tashi, Tibetan Researcher at TCHRD said, "Throughout 2025, the Chinese government continued to strengthen its political and ideological control over Tibet through an expanding system of legal reforms, administrative regulations, surveillance measures, and political campaigns aimed at reshaping Tibetan identity and reinforcing loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). More than a decade into President Xi Jinping's rule, state policies centred on "national unity," "ethnic harmony," and "stability maintenance" continued to translate into heightened repression across Tibetan areas, resulting in severe restrictions on freedom of religion and belief, freedom of expression, language and education rights, freedom of peaceful assembly, and protection from arbitrary detention, torture, and enforced disappearance."
"Chinese authorities also continued to expand policies undermining Tibetan language and education rights. Mandarin Chinese (Putonghua) was further promoted as the dominant language of instruction and public communication, while space for Tibetan-medium education continued to narrow," he added.
"The Preschool Education Law, which entered into force in June 2025, reinforced the use of Mandarin as the foundational language in early childhood education accelerating the marginalisation of the Tibetan language and weakening intergenerational cultural transmission," Tashi said.
