China Confines Tibetan Monks in State-Run Schools to Enforce ‘Patriotic Education’

Young Tibetan monks from Kirti Monastery, transferred to government-run boarding schools in Sichuan, are reportedly held under "prison-like" conditions, with restricted movement and Mandarin-only education, according to Radio Free Asia. The July closure of monastic schools in Ngaba and Dzoge counties displaced over 1,600 students to state schools, where patriotic education enforces loyalty to China and the Chinese Communist Party. Authorities barred family visits, citing “security concerns,” and warned parents against resistance. This crackdown, part of China’s broader surveillance efforts in Tibetan areas, raises concerns over the suppression of Tibetan culture and religious practices.