Chinese Authorities Detain Tibetan After Viral Video Exposes Illegal Mining

By Yangchen Lhamu

DHARAMSALA, 4 Nov: Chinese authorities have detained a Tibetan youth for exposing China’s illegal mining in Tibet earlier this week. Tsongon Tsering, a 29-year-old Tibetan from Tsaruma village in Kakhog County, Ngaba, in the traditional Tibetan province of Amdo, was detained after he posted a video registering a complaint about large-scale sand and gravel mining along the river in Tsaruma village, which is the source of Asia’s two largest rivers, the Yangtze and the Yellow River, reports the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD).

According to the Dharamsala-based rights group, “On 14 October, Tsering posted a five-minute video openly filing a ‘real-name complaint’ to draw attention to the mining operations conducted by Anhui Xianhe Construction Engineering Company, allegedly under the guise of road construction work.”

This method, TCHRD explains, is commonly used in China “for reporting abuses by officials or companies suspected of corruption, bribery, dereliction of duty, and abuse of authority.”

Tsering, who exposed illicit mining in Tsaruma village via a viral video, was reportedly summoned to the county office with his family and villagers. While he was permitted to return home briefly, the authorities later summoned and subsequently detained him. TCHRD added that “sources indicate he is now being held in Kyungchu County prison.”

Disguised as road construction, Anhui Xianhe Construction Engineering Company’s exploitation through illegal sand and gravel mining in Tsaruma village began in May 2023, the report stated, adding that this has “severely damaged the local ecosystem, polluting nearby waterways and increasing the risk to homes near the river.”

Though a group of villagers has reportedly “filed complaints with the Tsaruma Township, Kakhog County Discipline Inspection Commission, Kakhog County Environmental Protection Bureau, Kakhog County Water Affairs Bureau, Ngaba Prefecture Water Affairs Bureau, Ngaba Prefecture Environmental Protection Department, and other relevant departments regarding environmental destruction, soil erosion, and risks to local homes,” supported by photographs and videos documenting the damage done to the local area, it has fallen on deaf ears.

However, the report noted that the viral video prompted the Ecological Environment Bureau to announce that “they would look into the matter.”

The TCHRD has declared that the appeals made by the residents of Tsaruma, accompanied by compelling and irrefutable evidence, warrant urgent attention and has called on the Chinese authorities to “immediately halt rampant and illegal mining activities that have had harmful and disastrous consequences for Tibetan livelihoods, food security, and the natural environment.”

The group has further demanded that the authorities launch a thorough investigation into Tsering’s concerns, ensure his well-being, and hold the company accountable for environmental violations.

For the uninitiated, China’s thirst for mineral resources and its desire to exploit the rich deposits under the Tibetan plateau has led to numerous protests by Tibetans, who consider the hills and lakes sacred as they believe them to be the abode of gods who have protected their community and land since time immemorial.

However, Chinese authorities have responded to these protests by beating and arresting protesters, and even firing live ammunition at them. The mining has resulted in widespread environmental pollution and caused anguish for local Tibetans, whose ancestors have lived in the region for thousands of years.