Religious repression has further intensified with new regulations

The Chinese government has ordered citizens of Tibet to put shrines to Xi Jinping and Communist Party leaders inside their homes, replacing alters to religious figures like the Dalai Lama, according to information provided by Free Tibet’s research partner Tibet Watch.

Tibetans who are dependent on government subsidies or are on the poverty alleviation programme have been told their aid would stop if they fail to replace the images of holy Lamas they traditionally worship in their homes.

Authorities have told Tibetans to prostrate themselves in front of the images, in an act of deference and respect that would usually be reserved for Buddhist figures.

The order comes following a 9 to 13 January meeting of the People's Congress of the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR), the body through which the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) rules western and southern Tibet.

Photographs, which some have called propaganda, of Tibetan families smiling in their homes in front of shrines to communist party leaders have been put on official state media websites as part of the policy drive.

The session of the People's Congress saw Che Dalha, Party Chairman of the TAR, announce that Tibet had successfully reduced activities by “hostile forces” in the country. The statement is thought to be a reference to the Dalai Lama and the Buddhist exile community.