Dharamshala — Chinese authorities in Lhasa summoned Tibetan monks in Lhasa to a meeting on the "Sinicisation of Tibetan Buddhism". This meeting compelled Tibetan monks to work towards the “sinicisation of Tibetan Buddhism”, and strive diligently to make Tibetan Buddhism compatible with socialism. They also ordered the monks to follow the “orders of the Party”, “be grateful for the CCP,” and “follow the Party.”
Karma Tsetan, Chairman of the so-called Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), presided over the meeting, which was attended by Wang Jinzhang, secretary of the TAR Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. Monks representing the religious sector of the TAR were ordered to attend the meeting on the “sinicisation of Tibetan Buddhism” in early January 2026 in Lhasa, Tibet.
The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has implemented a coercive policy of “sinicisation of religion”, which aims to transform the CCP's political agenda and Chinese socialism, and to integrate the CCP's ideology into all aspects of the religious life of Buddhists, Catholic and Protestant Christians, Muslims and Taoists.
Sinicisation is a contemporary political campaign led by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) aimed at placing all religions, including Buddhism, under state control and aligning them with Chinese culture and ideology. It also involves the forced eradication of religious elements considered contrary to the CCP's political agenda and strategic orientations.
At the meeting on the “sinicisation of Tibetan Buddhism”, the Chinese authorities instructed monks to promote the “sinicisation of Tibetan Buddhism” and strengthen the rule of law in the management of religious affairs. This often prevents Tibetan monks from praying for their spiritual leader in exile, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and bans books, teachings and portraits of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. If Tibetans, including monks, are found in possession of such items, they face detention, torture and imprisonment.
The Chinese authorities have also commanded monks to work diligently to make Tibetan Buddhism compatible with socialism, to study “national consciousness, public consciousness and consciousness of the rule of law”.
“Representatives of the religious sector must sincerely follow the Party's orders, be grateful for CCP and remain loyal to it. They must actively develop a sense of belonging to the Chinese nation and work towards socialist modernisation,’ said Wang Jinzhang.
The Chinese authorities have also ordered monks to strictly comply with the “Provisional Measures for the Management of the Reincarnation of Tibetan Lamas in Tibetan Buddhism” in order to ensure their effective implementation. The authorities have further demanded that monks demonstrate “patriotism and piety” and oppose “separatism,” in reference to Tibetans in exile and His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
The Chinese authorities also demand the monks to cease all contact with family members in exile and sever all ties with their spiritual leaders in exile, which is extremely difficult for Tibetans, especially monks and nuns. This is why more than 150 Tibetans have self-immolated in Tibet to protest against the Chinese government's oppressive policy in Tibet and to demand the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, choosing to sacrifice their lives rather than sever ties with their spiritual leader.
