By Tsering Dhundup
DHARAMSHALA, Feb. 26: Chinese police in Kham Dege have reportedly been conducting harsh interrogations of Tibetans who were detained for protesting against a dam project, with some subjected to severe beatings requiring medical attention, according to sources cited by Radio Free Asia.
The protests, involving Buddhist monks and residents from Wangbuding township in Dege County, Kardze in Tibet, began on Friday. The detainees, who have been peacefully protesting since February 14 against the proposed construction of the Gangtuo hydropower dam on the Drichu River, have faced harsh treatment from authorities.
Sources speaking to RFA revealed that detainees were “slapped and beaten severely each time they refused to answer important questions, Many had to be taken to the hospital.” Among those affected was a monk from the Wonto Monastery who suffered severe injuries resulting in him unable to speak and bearing numerous bruises on his body.
Many of the arrested Tibetans are being held in different locations throughout Dege County, including police stations in upper Dege and an old prison, as there is no single facility capable of accommodating more than 1,000 individuals who are currently detained.
Reports indicate that detainees have been deprived of food, leading to several individuals passing out due to the lack of sustenance, particularly in the freezing temperatures. “In these detention centres, the arrested Tibetans were not given any food, save for some hot water, and many passed out because of the lack of food amid the freezing temperatures,” a source told RFA.
Furthermore, detainees were instructed to bring their own bedding and tsampa or barley, a Tibetan staple, indicating that their release is not imminent. “Each of the police units brought in from outside Dege have been tasked with controlling a community each and for carrying out strict surveillance and suppression of the people there,” a source told RFA.
“In the communities of Wonto and Yena, people have been restricted from leaving their homes and the restrictions are so severe that it is similar to what happened during the Covid-19 outbreak when the entire place was under lockdown,” said the same source.
Reports indicate that the authorities in Dege County have taken drastic measures to control the flow of information and suppress dissent. It has been reported that internet and phone lines have been severed, and individuals have had their phones confiscated forcibly. Additionally, there are allegations of spies being deployed among the populace to prevent the dissemination of information about the events unfolding in the region.
US Special Coordinator for Tibetan Issues, Uzra Zeya posted on her official X (formerly known as Twitter) account wrote, “Deeply concerned by reports of the PRC’s mass arrests of Tibetans protesting construction of a dam that threatens displacement of villages & destruction of monasteries. China must respect human rights & freedom of expression and include Tibetans in the development & implementation of water and land management policies”.
