DHARAMSHALA: More than 100 Tibetans staged a peaceful protest against coal mining in Nangchen county (incorporated into China’s Qinghai Province) last week. The Tibetans were raising environmental and health concerns to the Tibetan residents as a result of rampant mining in the area, according to confirmed news reports.

Carrying banners and shouting slogans, they told Chinese officials that the mining activities contradicted directives from the top Chinese leadership’s call for the protection of environment.

The protesters gathered on Tuesday and Wednesday at the mining site in Dompa township under the Yulshul (Yushu) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in order to express their opposition to any resumption of mining activity.

A group of Chinese mining officials have arrived at villages in Nangchen on Monday. Since then, Chinese authorities have stepped up mining activities in three different sites, Gongshung Ruchen Menmar Norbuma, Droglung Okar, and Ahge Kyilung.

“The local Tibetans were suspicious about their intentions. They later discovered that the officials came to the area with the objective of stepping up coal mining activities at the three sites,” RFA, a Tibetan radio service quoted one of the protesters as saying.

However, the Chinese officials assured the Tibetan protesters that their grievances will be conveyed to the higher authorities and urged them to go away.

In June, Tashi Dhargye, the Tibetan head of Nangchen county, and some Chinese officials arrived at Dompa township to convince villagers that prefecture level authorities had given their backing to coal mining in the area.

“The Tibetan people were told not to put up resistance but extend their cooperation,” Radio Free Asia reported.