April 18, 2019
Tibetans living in poverty must pass test on CCP leaders and the Chinese national anthem to get financial aid from the state
The Chinese government is forcing Tibetans living in poverty to memorise and recite the names of CCP leaders and the Chinese national anthem in return for financial aid from the state .
The test that citizens must pass for the aid requires knowledge of Xi Jinping, Mao Zedong and other influential CCP leaders. It also asks those being examined to recite a set of Chinese values called ‘the four emphasis and the four loves’ and sing the Chinese national anthem.
Tibetans who fail to memorise the material and pass will be temporarily unable to get state subsidies.
The report comes as four videos showing Tibetans reciting answers for the tests have been given to Tibet Watch by a source who has asked to remain anonymous. Safety concerns mean that the footage cannot be published.
In one clip a large group of Tibetans are seen chanting the answers together in what looks like a family home. Another shows a Tibetan man being officially tested and singing the national anthem.
In a third clip a Tibetan woman is standing in front of a poster of Xi Jinping while being tested by a CCP member. She runs through the answers out loud and acknowledges that she is a Chedu Ghu Pe, a political term meaning a Tibetan who has been liberated by Chinese rule.
“How did they [the Chinese government] assist you through Chedu Ghu Pe?” someone behind the camera asks her.
“In the past, I was poor. Then I got liberated by the party. I feel grateful to the Party from the depth of my heart. There is good food to eat, good clothes to wear. We get what we want to eat and wear. Party’s kindness is huge. Very grateful. I love the core, Xi Jinping is the core,”
she said.
“He is the core leader, he is such to me also,” she added.
The tests have been running for years and stem from a programme called “Unity and love for the Motherland.” By 20 June 2017 eleven counties, 68 towns, 33 schools, 33 temples and about 5,000 people had been forced to participate, Tibet Watch said.
Tibetans who can’t speak Chinese or are illiterate can find it difficult to pass the exams and are then left without state aid and may face financial hardship.
