Tibetan Language
Two Tibetans detained for protesting against use of Chinese language
Police in China’s Qinghai province have arrested two Tibetan youth for allegedly opposing the use of the Chinese language as the only medium of instruction in Tibetan schools, media reports said.
Identified as Gyuldrak and Yangrik, the two 19-year-old residents of Darlag county in Qinghai’s Golog (in Chinese, Guoluo) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture were taken into custody on Tuesday by Chinese police, a Tibetan living in the region told Radio Free Asia.
The two Middle School students are believed to have drawn police attention by speaking on the WeChat social media platform against a Chinese policy mandating, beginning in September, that all classes in local schools be taught only in Chinese, reports RFA.
Tibetan parents are being instructed to pick up the new Chinese-language textbooks in place of the older Tibetan texts when they go for COVID-19 testing, RFA’s source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
The new language policy has already earned criticisms from Tibetans.
Gyuldrak and Yangrik are now being held at the Darlag county police station, RFA’s source said.
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