Dharamsala, India – A new report published today by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) argues that Chinese authorities committed egregious human rights abuses that amount to crimes against humanity in Driru County, one of the most tightly-controlled areas in Tibet. The report titled ‘If Gyalmo Ngulchu Could Feel: Crimes Against Humanity in Driru’ details widespread and…
The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) calls on the Chinese authorities to immediately disclose the whereabouts of four Tibetans who have been subjected to incommunicado detention in Ngaba (Ch: Aba), Ngaba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, in the Tibetan region of Amdo.
Tashi Nyima, known as Gang Lhaja, faced severe repression for his promotion of the Tibetan language and culture. Following an abrupt suspension of his live-streaming activities on 28 August, he was arbitrarily detained and beaten by police from 1-3 September. Despite his growing influence and plans for a major tour to promote Tibetan vocabulary, his efforts were thwarted by authorities. His final video, posted on 7 September, conveyed his deep frustration and disappointment over these restrictions.
On the 29th anniversary of Tibetan spiritual leader Gedhun Choekyi Nyima’s enforced disappearance, the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy strongly condemns the Chinese government’s continued failure to provide information on his whereabouts and reiterates our calls for the authorities to reveal the truth. Despite extensive efforts and calls from the global Tibetan community, international governments and the United Nations for more than two decades, the Chinese government has continued to ignore their calls leaving a deep void in the hearts of the Tibetans inside and outside Tibet.
Chinese authorities have detained incommunicado a Tibetan monk, Pema, from the local Kirti Monastery in Ngaba (Ch: Aba) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province in the Tibetan province of Amdo for staging a peaceful solo protest against repressive policies while holding a portrait of the Dalai Lama on the stretch of a road known to the local Tibetans as ‘martyrs road’.
A Tibetan singer named Palden has been sentenced on an unknown date a few months after his detention earlier this year in Golog (Ch: Guoluo) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province, in the Tibetan province of Amdo.
While details on Palden’s imprisonment still remain vague, it has emerged that the singer was apprehended after he shared a patriotic Tibetan song on the Chinese social media platform KuaiShou. He was held in an undisclosed location for an extended period of time before getting sentenced on unknown charges.
The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) strongly condemns the continued persecution of the well-known Tibetan language rights advocate Tashi Wangchuk, who had been released from prison in 2021 after serving five years’ prison term on the trumped-up charges of “inciting separatism”.
Since his release from unjust imprisonment, Tashi Wangchuk has faced persistent restrictions and limitations on his movement and activities even as he continued to advocate for the promotion and protection of the Tibetan language.
The latest persecution faced by the Tibetan language rights advocate demonstrates that Chinese authorities will go to any lengths including engaging in mobster-style tactics to silence human rights defenders and activists.
On the evening of 19 August, while travelling from Sershul (Ch: Shiqu) County in Kardze (Ch: Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, to Darlag (Ch: Dari) County in Golog (Ch: Guoluo) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, he was followed by a vehicle. Subsequently, local police issued an order preventing local hotels from accommodating him.
The release of writer Dhi Lhaden after four years of imprisonment raises concerns regarding his physical and mental well-being, exacerbated by the limited accessibility of information about his current situation. Having endured two years of incommunicado detention since 2019, he was charged with “disrupting social order,” a common accusation against human rights activists, and secretly sentenced to four years in 2021. Despite his expected release this year, it was delayed by two months, perceived as a result of cautious measures by Chinese authorities to control information flow. Lhaden’s unjust trial, preceded by isolation, potential coercion, and torture, further adds complexity. As a former monk and writer, his works illuminated the Tibetan perspective, encompassing hopes, wishes, and the overall plight.
The Chinese authorities are systematically erasing the court verdicts of Tibetans charged with the vaguely worded and broadly defined crimes of
“endangering state security,” wiping them from public databases. This unlawful practice extends beyond Tibet’s Autonomous Region, resulting in secret trials and sentences for numerous Tibetans without any acknowledgement or information about their imprisonment. Human Rights Watch reports shed light on the absence of records for suspected state security cases involving Tibetan monks and the silence of Chinese state media.
The court verdict of Tashi Wangchuk, a Tibetan language activist released in January 2021 after serving five years in prison on a trumped-up charge of “inciting separatism,” cannot be found on China’s national database of court verdicts. Equally troubling is that the persecuted activist was not given a copy of his verdict upon his release from prison.
Every year on 26 June, the United Nations observes the International Day in Support of Victims of Torture, explicitly focusing on torture’s lasting generational impact and consequences. Recognising torture as the deliberate infliction of severe physical and mental suffering without justification, the United Nations General Assembly designated this day as an urgent call to eliminate this abhorrent practice, serving as a platform to promote the eradication of torture and to urge governments worldwide, including China, to fulfil their obligations under the UN Convention Against Torture. Recent cases, such as the severe torture endured by a Tibetan monk and the testimonies of Dorje Tashi, shed light on the systematic use of torture by Chinese authorities to suppress freedom of expression and assembly. These distressing incidents underscore the pressing need for the international community to take a firm stand and demand an immediate end to all acts of torture against Tibetans in Tibet.
Information received by TCHRD confirmed that Gephel, a Tibetan student from Muge Township in Zungchu (Ch: Songpan) County, Ngaba (Ch: Aba) Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, in the Tibetan province of Amdo, was detained on the evening of 24 January from his home for displaying Buddhist flags instead of Chinese flag as the backdrop on the stage during ‘Losar’ New Year celebration show.