Clockwise from top: Khenrab, Tsultrim Gonpo, Rinchen Namdol, Jangchup Ngodup, Dhongye, unidentified women
Photo: TCHRD
Chinese authorities in Driru County in Nagchu Prefecture have detained and beaten 30 Tibetans, one of whom remains missing, following the protest against a mining project in early April, according to the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD).
The leader of Markor village, Karma, was detained in late February this year after refusing to sign a document which would allow the mining of the sacred mountain in Shakchu, Sebtra Zagyen.
All residents of Markor, Wathang and Gochu villages were informed that their refusal to sign the document would be considered a punishable “separatist act”. After news of the mining project and Karma’s detention was leaked to Tibetan exile sources, authorities detained all Tibetans suspected of involvementwith the information leaking and any related “separatist activity”.
Khenrab, a 36 year old government official in Shakchu, lectured Shakchu residents on the value of environmental protection. As a result, he was detained on charges of separatist activities and his whereabouts remain unknown.
The emergency meeting held at Shakchu Town that led to the detention of 30 Tibetans
Photo: TCHRD
Sebtra Zagyen is considered the “supreme, sacred place of mind”according to the first Drong Ngur Choje Gyalwa Gangpa Rinchen Woser, founder of the the Drong Ngur Kagyu Phelgyeling Monastery in 1248.
In addition to being a sacred place of worship, the Sebtra Zagyen Mountain is home to several endangered species including the tsoe (Tibetan antelope), naur (Himalayan blue sheep) and gowa (Tibetan gazelle). It is also feared that the mining activities at SebtraZagyen could cause landslides at the nearby sacred mountain of Drakar. Such an incident would likely block local villagers’ access to water flow from the Shakchu and Khechu rivers.
The mining activities at Sebtra Zagyen are in contradiction to Chinese authorities’ claims that they have not engaged in mining in the Tibetan Autonomous Region for the past four years in order to “prioritise ecological preservation over economic development” in the area.
Mining activities at Sebtra Zagyen
Photo: TCHRD
TCHRD calls for the “immediate and unconditional release of all Tibetans detained” and demands that the “whereabouts and condition of all 30 Tibetans as well as the village leader Karma be made available to their family members without further delay.”
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