By Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, Jan. 2 : A 39-year-old Tibetan woman named Tsering Tso has reportedly been detained in Drachen County in the so-called Rangkyongjong Tibetan Autonomous Region on December 19 due to her online posts that were perceived as misrepresenting and misinterpreting the behaviour of Chinese police, according to a report published by the Dharamshala-based TibetTimes on Saturday.
After being detained for 15 days, Tsering Tso was reportedly interrogated by Chinese police regarding her social media posts that criticised the actions of the Chinese government’s police, the report noted.
“Chinese police previously arrested Tsering Tso in 2015 without apparent reason or due process. She would use social media platforms as a medium to speak out against the Chinese authorities whenever cases of unlawful detention of Tibetan individuals occurred,” a source within Tibet told TT. The same source revealed her vocal opposition to the Chinese authorities’ actions, especially regarding what she considered unlawful detentions of Tibetan individuals.
A statement by the Chinese authorities in Drachen County on December 25 regarding the detention of Tsering Tso stated that she was in a vehicle with a friend on the afternoon of December 19 when their car was stopped by authorities for an interrogation. Authorities claimed that instead of cooperating or responding to their inquiries, Tsering Tso drove the car away, evading their questioning. Additionally, the authorities also said that she uploaded three videos on social media platforms to speak out against the police, portraying them in a negative light.
According to the authorities in Drachen, Tsering Tso was first detained for 20 days on November 1, 2022, by authorities in Lhasa. The grounds for this detention were purportedly related to her alleged non-compliance with COVID-19 rules and regulations. Specific details regarding the nature of her violation were not provided in the account.
On Oct. 26, 2023, following her release from the prior detention, Tsering Tso was rearrested, this time for 15 days, due to her purportedly negative content targeting the Chinese authorities on social media platforms. The content she shared allegedly criticised the actions or policies of the Chinese government.
