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Tibetans Have Passports Confiscated And Not Returned

Being told that the would be given updated, biometric passports that would allow them to travel easier, the Chinese government lured Tibetans in the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) to give up their old travel documents last year. Not only did they not receive the new passports but their old ones were not returned. Due to [...]

Being told that the would be given updated, biometric passports that would allow them to travel easier, the Chinese government lured Tibetans in the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) to give up their old travel documents last year. Not only did they not receive the new passports but their old ones were not returned. Due to an escalation in tensions throughout the Tibetan regions of China, it appears that the central government wanted to ensure that no Tibetan dissidents would be able to leave the country.

From Radio Free Asia:

Under the April 2012 procedures issued by the TAR authorities, prospective Tibetan travelers are subject to arduous—and what some call discriminatory—procedures in an apparent attempt by Beijing to clamp down on their travels abroad.

The procedures, contained in an official TAR document obtained by RFA’s Tibetan Service, were introduced after many Tibetans attended the “Kalachakra” religious gathering in India in January 2012 presided over by exiled Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, who is reviled by Chinese leaders as a separatist.

The move was also part of tightened security measures following self-immolation protests by Tibetans questioning Chinese rule in the TAR and Tibetan-populated areas of neighboring Chinese provinces.

Document which outlines the special requirements for ethnic Tibetans to receive a passport

Document which outlines the special requirements for ethnic Tibetans to receive a passport

From the South China Morning Post:

The move was something of a bait-and-switch, notes the Washington Post: Tibetans were all told to turn in their passports, which would be replaced with electronic passports.

However, the new passports never showed up, and now many Tibetans are left without the documents, and thus unable to travel.

Filed under: China, Social Issues

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Vagabond Journey scours the globe for the most interesting, informative, and straight up strangest stories out there. has written 19 posts on Vagabond Journey. Contact the author.

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