Former Tibet Governor Che Dalha Expelled from Communist Party for Corruption, Power Abuse
By Tenzin Chokyi
DHARAMSALA 24 July: Che Dalha, China’s former governor of the so-called Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) in occupied Tibet, has been expelled from the Communist Party of China(CPC) and public office for alleged abuse of power, corruption, and nepotism.
An official statement from the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and the National Commission of Supervision published by People’s Daily Online, a Chinese state-owned media outlet on Tuesday stated that Che Dalha has been expelled from the Chinese Communist Party and dismissed from public office for “serious violations of Party discipline and laws” following an official investigation.
The statement also ordered the confiscation of Che Dalha’s illicit gains and that his case would be transferred to the procuratorial authorities for examination and prosecution in accordance with the law.
Che Dalha is accused of violating organisational principles by “benefiting others in the selection and appointment of officials”. The investigation further revealed that he had “improperly accepted gifts and cash, and allowed his relatives to exploit his official influence for personal gain”.
Like Wu Yingjige, another top leader from the occupied region who was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve on corruption charges last week, Che Dalha has also been accused of illegally accepting enormous sums of money and valuables in exchange for granting favours in project contracts and business operations. While the exact amount of Che’s illicit gains has not been disclosed, Wu’s were reported to total around $48 million.
The investigation into Che Drallha began in January 2024, making him one of the senior-most Tibetans within the Chinese system to face scrutiny for alleged misuse of public funds.
According to a report by advocacy group the International Campaign for Tibet, titled “Crisis of Credibility: China’s leaders in Tibet selected for Loyalty to CCP over welfare of Tibetan people”, over 37 senior officials in occupied Tibet have been either sentenced or are under investigation as part of Xi’s anti-corruption campaign.
The report notes the pervasiveness of corruption in China’s colonial administration of Tibet, aggravated by systemic repression.
Before beginning his career in the so-called TAR, Che Dalha had already been serving in Tibetan areas for many years. He worked extensively in the Dechen (Chinese: Diqing) prefecture in Yunnan Province, part of the traditional Tibetan province of Kham. As a native of Gyalthang (Zhongdian, now Shangri-La), Che rose through the ranks to become the Party Secretary of Dechen Prefecture, the highest political position in that Tibetan region.
Che Dalha began working in TAR in November 2010 as the head of the United Front Work Department. Shortly afterwards, in 2011, he was elected Vice Chairman of the TAR’s People’s Political Consultative Conference. From 2012 to 2017, he served as the Party Secretary of Lhasa Municipality, the region’s capital. He then assumed the office of Governor of the TAR on 7 January 2017, a position he held until October 2021.
