DHARMSHALA: Chinese authorities in Driru have forced Tibetans in Tsala township to celebrate a summer festival threatening them with arrests and imprisonment if they do not comply with the order, according to news reports. Local Tibetans have stopped celebrating the summer festival a few years back, in solidarity with the self-immolations that swept Tibet since 2009.

A source with close contacts in the region told reporters that  “Chinese authorities ordered all Tibetans from Driru, including those who might be in other places currently, to gather and participate in the festival. Those who defy the diktat are threatened with punitive actions including imprisonment.”

“The Tibetans have also been warned that if they fail to celebrate the festival, they would not be allowed to harvest and sell cordyceps fungus also known as caterpillar fungus next year,” the source added.

Residents of Tsala township which include a cluster of nine villages, are heavily dependent on the harvest and sale of caterpillar fungus for their livelihood.

“We know that the Chinese authorities are forcing Tibetans to participate in the festival in an attempt to paint a happy picture of peace and prosperity under Chinese rule. The ground reality is completely different. However, they have no choice but to comply,” the source added grimly.

Driru has been the site of a series of protests against Chinese rule since defiant Tibetans refused to hoist Chinese national flags ahead of China’s national day celebrations in 2013. Local Tibetans in Driru have also clashed with Chinese authorities over rampant mining in the region by Chinese companies.