PRESS STATEMENT
Tibet Conference in Brussels Alarmed by Crackdown in Tibet – Reports: More than 1,000 Tibetans detained after dam protests
Tibetan leaders in exile and Tibet supporters are alarmed by reports about an ongoing major crackdown on Tibetan protesters in the eastern Tibetan area of Derge (Dege), where local Tibetans, among them Tibetan Buddhist monks, have non-violently protested against a dam construction project on the Drichu River on the upper reaches of the Yangtze.
The construction would lead to the relocation of approximately 2,000 Tibetans and to the destruction of monasteries in the area which are home to invaluable cultural heritage, partly from the 13th century. In peaceful acts of defiance, Tibetans have protested in front of local government buildings and kneeled in front of Chinese officials, as videos of these protests have been sent from inside Tibet by local Tibetans, risking their own security. Chinese authorities rigorously persecute any such acts of spreading information.
Sikyong Penpa Tsering, the President of the Central Tibetan Administration, said, “The crackdown on non-violent protests in Derge is beyond condemnation. The Chinese authorities’ disregard for the rights of Tibetans is unacceptable by any measure. The punitive acts demonstrate China’s prioritization of its ideology and interests over human rights. We call on the Chinese government to release all those detained and to respect the rights and aspirations of the Tibetan people. The world needs to hear the Tibetans’ voices and confront the truth of Chinese misrule in Tibet.”
In Brussels, more than 170 Tibetan leaders and representatives of Tibet Support Groups from 42 countries have come together at the 9th International Conference of Tibet Support Groups to discuss ways forward in the Tibetan freedom struggle.