Parliamentary Search

Written question asked by Lord Alton of Liverpool (Crossbench) on Thursday, 14 May 2026, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Friday, 29 May 2026. It was answered by Baroness Chapman of Darlington (Labour) on Tuesday, 26 May 2026 on behalf of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Tibet: Pre-school Education

Question

To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the Human Rights Watch report, “Start with the Youngest Children” China’s Use of Preschools to “Integrate” Tibetans, published in May, on China’s suppression of the Tibetan Language in preschools and the imposition of Mandarin Chinese as the medium of instruction, as well as the requirement of all citizens to embrace Chinese national identity while excluding Tibetan Buddhist beliefs and cultural practices; and whether they will raise this report with the relevant United Nations agencies.

Answer

Reports of human rights violations in Tibet are deeply concerning. This Government stands firm on human rights, including against China's repression of the people of Tibet, and we continue to raise our concerns at the highest levels; the Prime Minister raised Tibet during his meeting with Xi Jinping in January.

We champion the right to freedom of religion or belief for all abroad, including Tibetan Buddhists, across a wide range of international fora; the UK's Human Rights Ambassador raised our concerns around restrictions in Tibet at the UN Human Rights Council on 16 March.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL81
Session
2026-27
Subjects
Languages Pre-school education Oppression Tibet National identity
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk