The Chinese authorities "systematically" impedes travel to the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) and to many Tibetan areas outside the region for U.S. diplomats and officials, journalists, and tourists in 2021, US State Department said in a report.
Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in January 2020, Chinese authorities have imposed country-wide restrictions on travel within the country and entry to it, which have impacted the ability of foreign diplomats, journalists, and tourists to travel to the TAR and other Tibetan areas.
"International visitors' travel to the TAR required the approval of TAR government travel permits; TAR authorities regularly denied travel permits to international journalists, diplomats, and other officials often with indications the central government had denied the request," the US State Department said in a report submitted to the US Congress.
The report states approval for tourist travel to the TAR was easier to secure but often restricted around sensitive dates.
According to the State Department, US officials requested travel via diplomatic note to visit the TAR in February 2021. Despite the embassy reiterating the request with alternate dates over a six-month period, TAR authorities did not approve an official visit to the TAR in 2021, the report says.
"The PRC government hosted two delegations of foreign diplomats from a select group of countries and a delegation of international journalists in the TAR in 2021. For diplomats and officials, travel to Tibetan areas outside of the TAR did not require a permit or special notification beyond the requirements in place for other parts of China," the report says.
It further states that Chinese authorities routinely denied requests to meet with government, religious, and civil society leaders in these areas.
"PRC security forces used conspicuous monitoring to intimidate U.S. diplomats and officials including while on personal travel to Tibetan areas, followed them, prevented them from meeting or speaking with local contacts, harassed them, and restricted their movement in these areas," the report added.
Further, it says Tibetan Americans regularly faced restrictions on their travel to Tibetan areas. "Access to these areas for journalists remained restricted and limited."
( With inputs from ANI )
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