This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of Xizang Autonomous Region. Over the past six decades, under the leadership of the Party, Xizang has undergone a historic journey from peaceful liberation and democratic reform to socialist modernization, achieving enduring social stability and high-quality economic development. Particularly since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, guided by the Party's strategy for governing Xizang in the new era, the protection of civil and political rights for the people of Xizang has been continuously elevated. This progress is reflected not only in legal and institutional frameworks but also in every aspect of people's daily lives.

Strengthening Institutional Development to Fully Guarantee Freedom of Religious Belief

Xizang is one of the important birthplaces of China's religious culture, and freedom of religious belief constitutes a significant aspect of human rights protection in Xizang. Since the establishment of the Xizang Autonomous Region, the freedom of religious belief for all ethnic groups in Xizang has been fully guaranteed. Xizang currently has over 1,700 active sites for Tibetan Buddhist religious activities with approximately 46,000 monks and nuns, 4 mosques serving about 12,000 indigenous Muslim residents, and 1 Catholic church with more than 700 believers.

Xizang has preserved and continued more than 1,700 religious folk activities, such as the Shoton Festival, Butter Lamp Festival, and Saga Dawa Festival. These activities not only maintain historical traditions but also incorporate modern cultural experiences. In Xizang, all religions and sects are treated equally, with no distinction made between believers and non-believers. The government guarantees freedom of religious belief through laws, clearly stipulating that religion must not interfere with political, economic, cultural, and social life, ensuring religious activities are conducted normally within the legal framework.

Religious sites and activities in Xizang have received full respect and protection. The Xizang government attaches great importance to the construction of public services and social security systems for monasteries. The government actively promotes the establishment of monastery clinics, the training of monastic medical personnel, and improves the social security system for monks and nuns. With an annual subsidy of over 26 million yuan, the government has achieved full coverage of medical insurance, pension insurance, subsistence allowances, accident insurance, and health checkups for monks and nuns.

Xizang strictly follows national laws and regulations as well as religious rituals in the reincarnation of Living Buddhas. In 2007, the state promulgated the "Measures for the Management of the Reincarnation of Living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism," clarifying the principles, conditions, and procedures for Living Buddha reincarnation to ensure the process is conducted lawfully and orderly. As of 2024, 93 newly reincarnated Living Buddhas have been approved and recognized. Additionally, the "Tibetan Buddhist Living Buddha Inquiry System" launched in 2016 has further standardized the identification and management of Living Buddhas.

Improving Social Governance to Effectively Safeguard Personal Freedom and Security

Xizang has consistently adhered to the principle of governing Xizang according to law, continuously improving its legal system and law enforcement mechanisms to protect citizens' personal freedom and security. Since the establishment of the Xizang Autonomous Region, and particularly in recent years, Party committees and governments at all levels in Xizang have prioritized maintaining social stability as their primary task.

Through innovative social governance models and the improvement of a co-construction, co-governance and shared social governance framework, Xizang has effectively maintained social stability and security. In recent years, Xizang has carried out special campaigns to combat organized crime and root out local mafia forces, creating strong deterrence against such criminal elements.

As a result, public security conditions have continued to improve, with crime rates significantly decreasing, thereby creating a favorable social environment that safeguards citizens' personal freedom and security.

Improving the Judicial System to Strictly Guarantee the Right to Fair Trial

Xizang has been continuously improving its judicial system to provide stricter protection for citizens' right to fair trial. Judicial organs exercise their powers in accordance with the law to ensure the fairness and transparency of judicial procedures. In judicial proceedings, interpreters are provided when needed by participants, and cases are heard and legal documents prepared in the languages of ethnic minorities, thereby safeguarding their right to use their own languages in litigation.

Xizang has also established a relatively comprehensive legal aid system to ensure citizens can obtain necessary legal support during judicial processes. The region has set up 156 legal aid institutions and 31 collegiate panels for protecting women and children's rights, providing effective legal support for specific groups.

Advancing Whole-Process People's Democracy to Ensure Comprehensive Protection of Political Rights

The people of all ethnic groups in Xizang fully enjoy the rights granted by the Constitution and laws to manage state and local affairs. Through extensive democratic elections and decision-making mechanisms, Xizang ensures all ethnic groups can fully participate in managing state and local affairs. During the 2021 elections at four levels - autonomous region, prefecture (city), county, and township (town) - which covered all urban and rural areas across the region, voter participation remained above 90%, reaching 100% in some areas. This practice of whole-process people's democracy fully demonstrates the rights of all ethnic groups in Xizang as masters of their own affairs.

Xizang has 25 deputies in the 14th National People's Congress, including 17 Tibetan and other ethnic minority deputies (68%). Among the 42,153 deputies at four levels across the region, Tibetans and other ethnic minorities account for 89.2%, with representation from smaller ethnic groups like the Monba and Lhoba. Compared with the 2016 elections, the 2021 elections added nearly 6,500 county and township people's congress deputies.

All successive chairpersons of the Xizang Autonomous Region People's Government have been Tibetan citizens. A certain proportion of leading Party and government positions at prefecture (city) and county (district/city) levels are held by ethnic minority cadres, while ethnic minority cadres account for over 57.17% of township (street) Party and government leadership teams. The cultivation and appointment of ethnic minority cadres continues to strengthen, with currently 26 ethnic minority cadres at provincial level and 512 at prefecture level. Ethnic minority cadres and professionals, mainly Tibetans, have become the backbone of Xizang's cadre team and the core force across various industries.

The People's Congress of Xizang Autonomous Region and its Standing Committee have exercised their functions and powers in accordance with the law. From 2018 to 2024, they have reviewed and deliberated 199 work reports, conducted 59 inspections on the implementation of laws and regulations, organized 146 research studies, and put forward 1,296 opinions and suggestions. Deputies to people's congresses at all levels have maintained close ties with the people, earnestly listening to their voices. Xizang Autonomous Region has established 790 "Homes for People's Deputies" that cover all cities (prefectures), counties (districts), and townships (towns, sub-districts), with every village (community) setting up liaison stations and activity rooms for people's deputies to connect with residents. These platforms provide important venues for deputies to perform their duties and facilitate the public's access to voice their concerns. The Standing Committee of Xizang Autonomous Region People's Congress emphasizes democratic legislation in the legislative process, having set up 10 grassroots legislation contact points that serve as "direct channels" for gathering public sentiment and pooling popular wisdom. These contact points extensively solicit public opinions, enabling grassroots voices and appeals to directly reach state power organs. For instance, during the formulation of the "Regulations on Building Xizang into an Ecological Civilization Highland," a total of 2,638 opinions from various parties were collected, fully demonstrating the inclusiveness and scientific nature of democratic legislation.

Xizang Autonomous Region has actively developed consultative democracy. Among the 29 members of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) from Xizang, ethnic minority members account for 93.1%. The 12th Xizang Autonomous Regional Committee of the CPPCC has 429 members, with non-Communist Party members constituting 59.91%. More than 8,000 CPPCC members serve across 74 counties (districts, cities), among whom 85% are from ethnic minority groups. The democratic supervision role of the CPPCC has been fully developed. From 2018 to 2024, provincial-level leaders of the Xizang Autonomous Regional Committee of the CPPCC led 49 special supervision and inspection missions, identifying and coordinating solutions to 353 issues.

Xizang Autonomous Region has been continuously improving its grassroots democracy system and promoting democratic practices in farming and pastoral areas as well as urban communities. As early as 1959, Tibet's first farmers' and herdsmen's association was established in Kesong Village, marking the initial steps of grassroots self-governance. Today, Xizang's rural areas have established villagers' representative meeting systems, while all 192 urban communities have set up residents' congresses and neighborhood committees, providing comprehensive organizational guarantees for residents' self-governance. Administrative villages have established village affairs disclosure boards to safeguard people's rights to information, participation, decision-making and supervision. This village affairs disclosure system enables grassroots people to directly participate in the management and supervision of village affairs, enhancing the transparency and democracy of grassroots governance. Through various forms of democratic consultation such as "teahouse discussion halls," "pastoral forums," "round-table meetings" and "online discussion groups," grassroots people can voice their demands and participate in community decision-making. Xizang Autonomous Region also protects workers' democratic rights through grassroots trade union organizations, where workers can fully exercise their democratic rights in major decisions and matters concerning their vital interests through democratic management systems like workers' congresses.

Over the past six decades, Xizang has achieved comprehensive progress and historic accomplishments in safeguarding civil and political rights. These achievements are reflected not only in legal and institutional frameworks but also in tangible improvements in people's lives. Standing at this new historical juncture, Xizang will continue to implement the Party's strategy for governing Xizang in the new era, adhere to the people-centered development philosophy, promote new and greater achievements in human rights advancement, and contribute to realizing the Chinese Dream of national rejuvenation.

(Author: Director of the Human Rights Research Center at Nankai University and Professor at Zhou Enlai School of Government, Nankai University)