As reported in a press conference on December 16th by the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), 80 Tibetan citizens were arrested on December 6th for attempting to oppose mining activities in the village of Kashi, Sershul County, in eastern Tibet. Locals mobilized after learning that a Chinese company was conducting illegal gold mining, further exacerbating long-standing tensions between locals and Chinese miners. Chinese authorities sealed off Kashi village and raided residents’ homes to intimidate, confiscate cell phones, and make arrests.
Some of those arrested were reportedly transported to Sershul County for questioning. It is worrying that the families of at least seven of them have yet to receive information on their whereabouts and conditions. Others were released only after being forced to sign a statement pledging not to participate in further protests against mining activities and not to disclose information about the situation to the outside world. The document also stated that local citizens have beaten Chinese police officers and workers without valid reason.
Friction and incidents near infrastructure development or mining sites are very common in Tibet. The environmental impact of such development projects is clear from ecological damage to lakes, rivers, grasslands, and sacred sites for Tibetans. Environmental destruction adds up to the abuses that are leading to the eradication of Tibetan culture and tradition like the forced enrollment of Tibetan children in so-called “residential schools,” where they are taught only Mandarin. Also Beijing’s attempt to interfere in the selection process of the Dalai Lama’s successor is becoming another source of preoccupation.
Sen. Giulio Terzi
Sen. Andrea De Priamo