Kelsang, a 42-year-old Tibetan resident of Serdak Township in Tengchen (Ch: Dêngqên) County, Chamdo Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region, has been subjected to prolonged, systematic marginalization by local Chinese authorities. For more than nine years, his family has been denied access to basic public services such as electricity and water, a deprivation that has severely impacted their daily life and well-being. Despite repeated attempts to seek redress through formal appeals, Kelsang has faced escalating retaliation, including arbitrary detention, intimidation, surveillance, and restrictions on his family’s freedom of movement and expression.
In 2016, Kelsang’s home was inexplicably excluded from a township infrastructure development project that extended electricity and water access to most households in Serdak Township. No official explanation was provided, and all subsequent inquiries yielded no resolution. As a result, Kelsang’s children were unable to study at night, leading to their eventual withdrawal from school. The family’s exclusion continued into 2024, when they were removed from the Sedrak Township agricultural and pastoral poverty alleviation program, further entrenching their isolation from basic state services.
Between 2016 and early 2025, Kelsang submitted at least five written appeals to township and county-level authorities. His most recent appeal, in March 2025, described the persistent hardship endured by his family:
“Even having electricity in a very ordinary home has become like a dream for me… I have appealed to the authorities on many accounts… It has been 9 years.”
Video link: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/8KZ2MEcgcPE
On 20 March 2025, after years of being silenced through administrative inaction, Kelsang shared a video on Chinese social media platforms, publicly documenting his family’s plight. The video, which described their daily challenges and longstanding denial of services, quickly drew attention online. Four days later, on 24 March, Tengchen County police detained him. During the three-day detention, he was accused of “disrupting social order” and “tarnishing the image of the Party and the county.” These vague and overly broad charges, often used in politically motivated prosecutions, lack any legitimate basis under international human rights law.
Following his release, the harassment intensified. As of 10 April 2025, Kelsang and his family were placed under constant surveillance at their home. Authorities prohibited local residents from visiting them and repeatedly summoned Kelsang to the police station, where he was beaten and pressured to confess that his online posts were fabrications aimed at gaining online popularity. He refused to comply, reaffirming the truth of his claims. Authorities subsequently removed all of his social media content and barred his family members from broadcasting or speaking publicly about their situation. His children, coerced into returning to school on 1 April, faced discrimination from both teachers and peers. The school principal initially refused their enrollment, citing political concerns.
On 18 April 2025, Kelsang was detained a second time and remains in custody at the Tengchen County Police Station. His family attempted to visit him on 22 and 24 April but were denied access. During these attempts, officials threatened the family and forced them to sign false confessions admitting to “spreading rumors” and “harboring animosity toward the government.”
A source close to the family told TCHRD, “We are worried about Kelsang’s health as it continues to deteriorate; he suffers from high blood pressure and given the secrecy surrounding his wellbeing, we are extremely concerned. He has only appealed for equal treatment stating his struggle and has done no unlawful act as accused by the government. But since he made the appeal public, it must be why he is detained now.”
Kelsang’s political past, and that of his family, is widely seen as the driving force behind their continued persecution. In the 1950s, Kelsang’s grandfather, Lolo, was killed while resisting the Chinese People’s Liberation Army, an event that marked the family as politically suspect in the eyes of the authorities. In 2008, amid widespread Tibetan protests across the region, anti-Chinese government leaflets were distributed in Serdak Township. Kelsang was suspected of involvement and detained for six months, though no formal charges were brought against him.
The treatment of Kelsang and his family reflects a broader pattern of criminalizing peaceful dissent and employing collective punishment as a method of social control in Tibet. Rather than addressing legitimate grievances through lawful and responsive governance, Chinese authorities often respond with surveillance, arbitrary detention, and intimidation—particularly against those who, like Kelsang, have historical or political associations that place them under perpetual suspicion. The use of forced confessions, denial of basic services, blacklisting, and community-wide restrictions mirrors the experiences of numerous other Tibetans, including those advocating for cultural preservation, religious freedom, and environmental rights.
Kelsang’s case bears striking resemblance to that of Shonu Palden, a former Tibetan political prisoner from Gansu Province who died in 2018 after prolonged medical complications caused by torture sustained during detention. Like Kelsang, Shonu Palden had been targeted for his involvement in the 2008 protests. His daughter, Namgyal Dolma, was later denied school admission in a clear act of collective reprisal. These incidents illustrate the continuity of a repressive state apparatus that punishes not only individuals but also their families, effectively criminalizing entire households for perceived political disloyalty.
China’s actions in this case violate multiple provisions of international human rights law, including the right to non-discrimination, the right to education, the right to freedom of expression, and the prohibition of arbitrary detention. The ongoing denial of electricity and water to Kelsang’s household contravenes Article 11 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, to which China is a state party. His detention for peaceful expression violates Articles 9 and 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and the treatment of his children at school contravenes Article 28 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child. The continued targeting of Kelsang’s family based on his grandfather’s and his own political history constitutes collective punishment, an act prohibited under international humanitarian law.
The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy urges Chinese authorities to immediately and unconditionally release Kelsang from detention and ensure his access to medical care. The government must restore electricity and water to his household and ensure that his children are allowed to attend school without fear of discrimination or reprisal. The Chinese government must also cease all acts of harassment, surveillance, and coercion against his family and the wider community. These violations demand not only redress, but also sustained international scrutiny and accountability.
Appeal Letter
I am an ordinary resident of Sedrak Township, Tengchen County, Chamdo City. I am writing this letter with a heart full of disappointment and despair. My family is currently facing serious problems related to the lack of water and electricity.
Thanks to the government’s commendable policy aimed at improving people’s livelihoods and ensuring basic living facilities for every citizen, the leaders of Sedrak Township have worked hard to provide electricity and water to most families in our area. As a result, many households have seen a significant improvement in their living standards. However, unfortunately, my family has been left out of these developments. We still do not have access to electricity or running water.
WIthout electricity, the night is pitch black and the children cannot study normally, so I chose not to let my son go to school. The reason why I did not let my child go to school was also because I was removed from the third batch of statistics of the 2024 farmer-herder separation and transformation plan of Sedrak Township. Something as basic as having electricity in our home has become an unreachable dream.
The lack of water has made our daily lives extremely difficult. We struggle to prepare meals, wash, and keep the house clean. Every day, I must spend a great deal of time and effort fetching water from distant sources, which greatly disrupts our routine and makes normal living nearly impossible.
I have raised this issue with the authorities on numerous occasions. I understand that they are busy, but it has now been nine years that my family and I have endured these hardships.
I respectfully request that officials conduct a thorough investigation to understand the root of the problem and resolve it, so we may return to living a normal life. I believe in the fairness of the law and the integrity of our officials, and I sincerely hope you will address this matter.
I await your response with hope.
Complainant: Kelsang
Date: 20 March 2025