Nasdaq-listed video streaming site Bilibili and language studying app Talkmate seem to have taken down Uyghur and Tibetan languages from their platforms.
According to a senior analyst at ASPI ( Australian Strategic Policy Institute) Biblibili site gives an error message saying “评论内容包含敏感信息” (Comment content contains sensitive information) when the user attempts to insert Uyghur or Tibetan script. There is no such problem with other foreign languages.
Last week the Talkmates Weibo account announced that it has taken down Tibetan and Uyghur programs from its platform. Absurdly UNESCO has partnered with the application to “safeguard the world’s linguistic, cultural, and documentary heritage.”
(Source: Talkmate Social Media Account)
“The latest move of scrapping minority languages reflects the shift of the Chinese Communist Party assimilationist stance on linguistic and ethnic diversity.” Tibetan Review notes.
Illustration: Anne Kader