How a Tibetan conference disappeared: Beijing expressed concerns, Nepalese security agencies did not object, and the top government eventually stopped

At least three different judgements exist in the same meeting.

Scholars see academic meetings.

The International Tibetan Conference, which was planned for 23-26 August, was organized by the relevant institutions of Kathmandu University on Tibetan history, language, religion, culture and social studies, with participants from a number of countries. The preparations have been ongoing for many years and the Conference itself is a professional exchange of knowledge among the international Tibetan community.

Beijing is seeing political risks.

As early as 23 July, the Nepalese media, Ratopati, disclosed that the Chinese Embassy in Nepal had expressed concerns about the meeting and had approached the Nepalese diplomatic service to ensure that the event did not become a platform for so-called “anti-China” activities. The issue of Tibet has long been placed on the highly sensitive political red line of the Communist Party, and the issue of the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan diaspora and the political identity of Tibet is particularly closely controlled in Beijing.

Nepal ' s own security agencies have made different judgements.

The Kathmandu Post disclosed that the relevant Nepalese security agencies had not previously considered the meeting to constitute a security threat that needed to be cancelled. However, the top government ultimately reversed this judgement and demanded that the host party cease its activities. Associated Press further confirmed from the organizers of the conference on 6 August that the Government had not publicly provided full justification for the cancellation of the request from Government officials in Nepal.

Three positions come together, and things go beyond the question of whether a conference can be organized.

For Beijing, this is an extension of the borders of political control in Tibet; For the Government of Nepal, this is the choice between Chinese relations and academic freedom in the country; For researchers, it means that the discussion of an academic topic ultimately depends on whether foreign Governments believe it touches a political exclusion zone.

Nepal is in a special position. It maintained close diplomatic and economic relations with China, while also long-standing residents of Tibetan refugees and their descendants. Nepal allows some religious activities to exist, but continues to restrict Tibetan activities of open political significance.

This does not require Beijing to be influenced by direct orders.

The Chinese Government needs only to emphasize repeatedly that Tibet is a so-called “core interest” and to place the issue of academic, political, religious and national identity within the same national security framework. Countries with close ties to China face real pressure: whether to bear the diplomatic costs of offending Beijing or to close public spaces ahead of time that could cause Beijing’s disgruntled grievances.

This incident coincided with the implementation of China ' s new National Unity and Progress Promotion Law shortly after. International human rights organizations have previously criticized the law as further strengthening the political framework of the “China National Community” and as likely to reduce the space for ethnic minorities such as Tibetans to maintain their independent language, religion and culture identity.

So, a rather ironic situation emerged.

Those studying Tibet did not enter China, nor did they hold political demonstrations in Lhasa, but were preparing for an academic conference in Nepal. However, the politically sensitive border built by the Communist Party around Tibet continues to cross the Himalayas to universities in another sovereign State.

The most sophisticated form of cross-border repression does not necessarily require the presence of Chinese police in foreign streets.

When foreign Governments began to take the initiative to run their universities, conferences and civil society in accordance with the political exclusion zones in Beijing, the review had been completed across borders.