China is accelerating the forced urbanization of rural Tibetans, rights group says

TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) — Human Rights Watch says China is accelerating the forced urbanization of Tibetan villagers and herders, adding to state government and independent reports of efforts to assimilate them through control over their language and traditional Buddhist culture. The human rights group cited a trove of Chinese internal reports contradicting official pronouncements that all those forced to move, with their past homes destroyed on departure, did so voluntary. The relocations fit a pattern of often-violent demands that ethnic minorities adopt the state language of Mandarin and pledge their fealty to the ruling Communist Party in western and northern territories that include millions of people from Tibetan, Uyghur, Mongolian and other minority groups.