By Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, Aug 6: Dharamshala-based rights group, Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) has condemned the persistent persecution of Tibetan human rights advocate Tsering Tso who was detained on June 29 under charges of “endangering social stability”. She was released on July 8 after ten days in administrative detention by the local police of the so called Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.
This marks the fourth time in five years that Tsering Tso has faced detention for her activism. Her recent detention was a result of her efforts to expose racial discrimination practices by Chinese authorities against two Tibetan monks traveling on a pilgrimage in Drachen (Chinese: Bachen) County, Nagchu (Chinese: Naqu) Prefecture, in the so called Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR).
According to the rights group, on the evening of June 10, around 5 pm, local police in Gomri Township, Drachen County, halted a pilgrimage tour to Lhasa and Tsari. The police demanded that the monks obtain prior permission from the Monastery Management Committee and the local government. That night, the police detained two monks and subjected them to intense interrogation. Upon hearing of their arrest, Tsering Tso contacted the police, highlighting that Chinese tourists required no such permission while Tibetan monks faced unfair restrictions. She demanded the monks’ immediate release, asserting their detention was unlawful and violated China’s laws and policies.
Tsering Tso has faced multiple detentions over the years. In December 2023, she was sentenced to 15 days in detention by Drachen County police for allegedly refusing to cooperate with a traffic investigation and spreading false information online. In November 2020, she was forcibly detained from her Xining home by ten officers and taken to the Trikha (Chinese: Guide) County detention centre. She endured a 10-day administrative detention from November 13 to 23 and was fined 1,000 Yuan. In 2017, while advocating for local Tibetans’ legal right to apply for passports in Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Tsering Tso was detained, interrogated, and brutally assaulted by the Public Security Bureau (PSB) of Yushu Prefecture.
A native of Trika (Chinese: Guide) County in Tsolho (Chinese: Hainan) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Tsering Tso currently resides and works in Yushu City. She operates Tibet World Tours and Travel, which specialises in organising tours in regions such as Lhasa City, Ngari, and other parts of Tibet, as well as destinations worldwide.
“Tsering Tso has consistently advocated for equal rights for Tibetans, including freedom of movement as guaranteed by the Chinese Constitution. Instead of addressing her concerns, the Chinese government has repeatedly abused its power by detaining, intimidating, and harassing her. Arbitrary arrests and detention are some of the pressing human rights issues that undermine the criminal justice system in China. We call on the Chinese government to uphold the principles of equality and non-discrimination enshrined in its constitution, immediately abolish the discriminatory passport regulations, and allow Tibetans the right to movement and access pilgrimage sites in Tibet,” TCHRD stated.
