Tibetans welcome conviction of Chinese spy from their midst

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 29

Tibetans in exile here have welcomed a Swedish court’s decision to deport a Chinese-Tibetan after he had completed a sentence for spying on Tibetans in Sweden for the Chinese intelligence.

“Beijing’s efforts aimed at co-opting members of Tibetan community are just one part of its broader intimidation campaign,” read a newsletter from the Media Coordinator of the Bureau of the Dalai Lama here. 

The Chinese have been active in conducting cyber-attacks against the Tibetan community, especially in Dharamshala, the exiled Tibetans claim.

The Swedish security service had told the court that the Chinese agent’s presence was “a threat to the country’s security and demanded that he should be deported”, according to Swedish news reports.

Dorjee Gyantsan, 52, was convicted of “gross illegal intelligence activity” after he was found to have met Chinese intelligence officers as part of an operation to spy on Tibetans living in Sweden.

“This is not the first time a Chinese spy has snooped in the community. But it is the first known case of a Western government prosecuting a Tibetan accused of espionage,” read the newsletter.

It said that ostracising the suspects and fear-mongering should be the last resort as the Tibetan community would then play into China’s hands.

The need is to challenge the Chinese Communist Party not their paid spies. The next time, do welcome a new Tibetan into the circle ``if you have to, but remain alert at all times so that our movement continues unhindered'', it advised.

Sweden was the first country in Europe to close all Chinese government-established Confucius Institutes and Classrooms by May this year.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said Washington would close down all Confucius centers by year-end.

Tibetans allege that China engages heavily through these Confucius institutes and alumni to monitor voices that run contrary to Beijing’s official narrative.