Dharamshala — Chinese authorities in Rebkong County, north-eastern Tibet (Ch: Tonren Xian, Malho Prefecture in Qinghai Province), have shutdown a hotel after Tibetans protested against hotel's policy to ban speaking Tibetan among employees.

A public apology was released by "Shangyon Hotel" January 7, was circulated via social media, saying any employees who speak Tibetan must pay 500 Yuan as punishment. a Tibetan source with close contacts in the region told TPI.

The Chinese hotel has rescinded a rule that Tibetan staff may speak only Chinese to customers at all times while at work, backing down after the local Tibetan community launched online protests.

The Hotel had initially forbidden Tibetan employees from speaking their own language during their work, threatening a fine of 500 yuan ($76) for noncompliance, TPI's source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

It's not the first time Chinese have done this to Tibetan people, a notice by the Cyber Crime Investigation Cell of Ngaba Police Department: "We at the Police Department remind you that the use of Tibetan language is required your identity card to typing and printing."

The hotel said that its actions had breached cultural privileges guaranteed by China's policy on so-called minority nationality groups.

The Chinese government's white paper recently claimed a 'golden age for Tibet' but in reality, Tibetan people continue to suffer political repression, economic marginalization, social discrimination, cultural assimilation and environmental destruction under China's authoritarian rule.

More than 140 confirmed self-immolation protests have taken place inside Tibet. They have called for the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet and freedom for Tibetans.

In Tibet today, Tibetans are being arbitrarily arrested, imprisoned and tortured for merely expressing their suffering under Chinese rule. However, authorities in Beijing still claim that "China 'peacefully liberated' Tibet, and that the "Tibetans are living in a Maoist socialist paradise."