Human Rights Situation in Tibet: November 2019

A Tibetan Youth in Ngaba Dies After Setting Himself on Fire to Protest Chinese Rule 

A young Tibetan nomad aged around 24 from the nomadic township of Meruma in Ngaba (Ch: Aba) county in Tibet’s traditional province of Amdo, died after setting himself ablaze in a nearby town as an act of protest against the Chinese rule in Tibet and its hard line policies against the Tibetans. Yonten self-immolated on 26 November, which is the first of the fiery protest this year. Read more 

China Crackdown on Tibetans in Sershul, Karze after Independence Protests

Following the recent pro-independence protests in Dza Wonpo town in Karze which resulted in the arbitrary arrests of eights Tibetans, Chinese authorities have put the region under severe restrictions and surveillance to monitor the activities of the local Tibetans. The intensified security measures in the area have affected the daily routines and livelihood of the Tibetans in the region. Read more  

Six Tibetan Monks and Two Youngsters Arrested for Pro-Independence Leaflets in Dza Wonpo

Chinese authorities arrested six Tibetan monks and two youngsters in Dza Wonpo town in Sershul county, Karze (Ch: Ganzi) Prefecture in Tibet’s traditional Kham province after scattering leaflets calling for Tibet’s independence in the premise of the local Chinese government office. The arrests were made during three different incidents this month and the demonstrations against the Chinese authorities are said to have been prompted by the continuous practice of forced resettlement of the local Tibetan nomads to towns under Chinese government’s “nomad relocation” policy in the region. Read more

China submits Insufficient Response on the Whereabouts of the Panchen Lama

The United Nation Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearance in its 119th session held in September this year, when asked China about the fate of Panchen Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, China has responded the experts with the usual practice of unverifiable and insufficient information. In addition to the rhetoric reply stating that Gedhun Choekyi Nyima has "received free compulsory education", this time, China added that "he went to university", and "currently he has found a job". However the UN Working Group stated that the enforced disappearance of Panchen Gedhun Choekyi Nyima "will remain under the consideration". Read more

China Jails Tibetan Man for Sharing Tibet-Related Books on WeChat 

A Tibetan man named Wangchuk, 45, was arrested and detained from Shigatse (Ch: Rikaze) Prefecture by Chinese police officers on around 8 March this year on his return home from a business trip to Tibet’s capital Lhasa. Wangchuk’s arbitrary detention and arrest was suspected to be linked with his sharing of Tibetan books on the popular Chinese messaging platform WeChat. His case is a reflection of increased online censorship and the human rights situation in Tibet under China that continues to deteriorate. Read more

China Listed as the Least Free Country on Internet Freedom for the Fourth Consecutive Year 

The Freedom House’s annual report, Freedom on the Net 2019: The Crisis of Social Media, ranked and named China as the worst abuser of internet freedom while Iceland becomes the world’s best protector of internet freedom with highest level of internet freedom. China with 854 million internet users as of June 2019, scored 10 out of 100 assigned on the ground of ‘obstacles to access’, ‘limits on content’, and ‘violations of user rights’. Read more

Tibetan Man Detained for Sharing Photos Online Ahead of Tibetan National Uprising Anniversary Day 

Pema Samdup, 26, was detained in Lhasa on the morning of 9 March, a day before the 60th anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising Day. He was later handed over to the Public Security Bureau authorities in Chamdo (Ch: Qamdo) Prefecture. Pema Samdup, a college graduate was detained due to “political reasons” and for “sharing photos on his WeChat account”. He has been held in incommunicado detention ever since. His family members and relatives fear that he is being subjected to severe torture and abuse while in custody. Read more

Tibetan Man Detained Last Month Vanished from the Detention Centre
A Tibetan man called Lhadar, 36, who was arrested early October this year by the Chinese police on unknown charges, has not been heard of since his detention. It is suspected that he was arrested for "leaking state’s secrets". Tibetan news reports have stated that Lhadar "disappeared" from the detention centre with no information on his well-being and whereabouts. Read more

Shared by: UN, EU and Human Rights Desk, DIIR, CTA

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