Tibetan nomads in China’s Qinghai region are being forced to replace prayer flags near their camps with China’s national emblem, in what opponents perceive as a government drive to eradicate Tibetan cultural and religious activities.
Tibet was formerly an independent country that was conquered and absorbed into China by force 70 years ago.
China’s campaign in Matoe comes after sources in other Tibetan areas reported the destruction of visible symbols of Tibetan culture and religious belief, including Tibet’s regional capital Lhasa, where China banned fragrant smoke from the burning of juniper boughs at the city’s iconic Jokhang Temple in November 2020.
