Tibetans in Tibet have expressed concerns and dismay in response to the Chinese government’s decision to ban the Tibetan language and remove posts in the language from Douyin, China’s version of TikTok. This decision has sparked widespread outrage among Tibetans, highlighting the ongoing struggle for cultural and linguistic freedoms online.
In a widely circulated video on X (formerly Twitter), a Tibetan netizen vehemently expressed discontentment over the deliberate ban and removal of Tibetan language posts on Douyin. “I question whether Douyin holds more power and authority than the nation and the legal system. Is Douyin more powerful than the state? What is the reality here? To clarify, the state’s policies explicitly grant protection for cultural preservation and language promotion, a mandate supported by both the legal system and the government,” he stated.
The ban is part of a wider pattern of suppression and delegitimization of Tibet’s native language. Over the years, the Chinese government has implemented various policies aimed at diminishing Tibetan cultural practices, including restrictions on language and religious freedom and the promotion of Mandarin over Tibetan in schools. This latest move is seen as an extension of these policies into the digital realm. The Dharamshala-based rights group Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy has condemned the move, calling it “a flagrant violation of provisions enshrined in Chinese constitution as well as Regional Ethnic Autonomy Law, which promised but rarely granted meaningful autonomous powers to ethnic minorities including Tibetans.”
