'No new arrivals at Tibetan Children Villages in a year due to China's policies', NGO member says

Dharamshala/Shimla (HP): There has been no new arrival this year of students to the Tibetan Children Villages owing to China's cross-border movement policies, a member of the NGO has said.

Tibetan Children's Villages, or TVC, is a non-profit organisation that takes care of the education of orphans, destitute, and refugee children from Tibet.

Based in Dharamshala, the NGO has more than 6,000 children under its care.

"China is not allowing kids, monks, women and even tourists to cross the border. So far, not even a single student from Tibet has come here this year, while only six students arrived last year," TCV President Sonam Sichoe told PTI on Thursday.

China has restricted movement of Tibetans wanting to come to India since 2008 and as a result, the number of students is on the decline, he said.

Sichoe said the Central Tibetan Administration must exert pressure on China to allow Tibetans to move to India.

Continuous attempts are being made to erode the Tibetan language, values, cultural practices and traditions, Tibetans have claimed over the years.

China has established military camps to monitor the movement of Tibetans and also set up posts along the Tibetan-Nepal border to prevent their entry into India, the TCV said.