On the morning of 17 June, the United Front Work Department of Gongbu Gyada (Ch: Jiangda) County, Tibet Autonomous Region, hosted a special event on the theme of the ‘‘Three Shifts’ education campaign and Religious Work.

Xiaohe, the Deputy Mayor of Nyingtri City, presided over the event. Around 480 people attended the propaganda event including leaders from various units of the county and representatives from middle school and primary schools.

Public propaganda event depicting three further measures of control by the CCP

In the lecture, the Deputy Mayor clarified the requirement for everyone to observe the ‘Three Shifts’ education campaign and continuously improve the level of religious work ability and the sinicization of Buddhism. Implementation of this campaign was said to be a path for what is often called a new era, which is believed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) as a stage in the process of change in society. He emphasised that everyone should understand the history of the CCP and its policies on religion. During the 7th Tibet Work Forum, sinicisation of Tibetan Buddhism and promotion of CCP’s revised history were highlighted as key aspects of imposing absolute control and repression on Tibetan identity. In propaganda meetings since then, these measures of marginalising Tibetan identity have often been interpreted in the Chinese state media as “the spirit” of the 7th Tibet Work Forum.

Thorough implementation of these propaganda instructions and policies on religious activities was explained as the basis and foundation for maintaining social stability and uprooting the deeply embedded “anti-separatism” struggles. In his closing speech, he stressed that Tibetan Buddhism must adapt to the socialist society, give full respect to the role of CCP-appointed eminent monks, and take a clear-cut stand to eliminate the negative impact of the 14th Dalai Lama’s use of religion.

The ‘Three Shifts’ aims to bolster furthermore control than before. They are:

1) Political standards must be higher

2) Party spirit requirements must be stricter

3) Organisational discipline must be stronger

The CCP has often packaged propaganda concepts and numbers in its systematic policies to separate Tibetan’s allegiance to their leader the fourteenth Dalai Lama, distinct identity and culture. ‘Four Speaks and Four Loves’ refers to openly showing gratitude, allegiance, and love for the CCP and the People’s Republic of China.