Alexander Birle, office manager of the CSU-affiliated Hanns Seidel Foundation in Beijing, spoke positively about China’s politics in the region at a state-organized conference. He had previously taken part in a funded trip to Tibet.
Visiting the Dihang Gorges in Tibet, the world-famous Potala Palace or the Jokhang Temple, the most important sanctuary of the Tibetans – remains a dream for most. Seventy years after Tibet was occupied, the region is one of the most isolated parts of the world. Tourists need a special permit to enter the country, and foreign diplomats and journalists are not allowed to visit. Human rights organizations have been reporting for decades on massive social control, so-called patriotic education campaigns and political and religious persecution.