The Chinese authorities are rapidly expanding the issuance of the new social security card in Tibet, in order to tighten their grip on Tibetans. This multipurpose social security card gives access to numerous services and controls almost every aspect of an individual’s life.
The Chinese authorities in Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) have issued 2.7 million cards to the Tibetans in June this year and aim to achieve the distribution of 3 million new cards by the end of the year. The new social security cards covers different functions such as banking; purchasing and bill settlement; health and life insurance; and other non-financial functions such as personal ID card and city card.
According to the Chinese media, the new multipurpose social security cards achieve the objective of “one person: one card” by bringing a wide range of services and functions under a single card. They also claim that the guiding principle behind this scheme is to enhance ethnic unity and building a beautiful Tibet.
The Tibet support group, International Campaign for Tibet (ICT), said the new social security card, which is in line with China’s controversial social credit system, is a tool for mass surveillance, controlling every action of every Tibetan living in TAR. The data collected by the card could be used to punish every Tibetan who is deemed a criminal by loss of employment or pension, denial of flight and train tickets, torture and even imprisonment. The former political prisoners and Tibetans suspected of loyalty to the Dalai Lama are closely watched and monitored through this card system, ICT added.
Although the Chinese social credit system was not the world’s first, it is unique in its complexity. The Chinese social credit system extends to every aspect of life, judging citizen’s behavior, trustworthiness and compliance to government policy. This new social security system, along with the social credit system,has turned ethnic minorities such as Tibetans and Uighurs into virtual prisoners.
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