By Tenzin Tsetan
DHARAMSHALA, November 26: There are growing number of reports of forced relocation of rural Tibetans communities in resource rich regions, depriving them means to livelihood and security as Chinese authorities continue involuntary land requisition to pave way for their developments plans.
According to TCHRD, Tibetans were ordered relocation in public notice in Yenmon township of Dechen County, Yunnan province last month. 200 households of Yenmon were ordered to relocate to make way for construction of dam on the Dzachu (Mekong/Lancang river) that flows close to the township.
A similar case is reported in Huafengping, another village in Dechen County where Tibetan villagers were given public notice of relocation which the locals had challenged. The residents submitted a petition stating that local authorities did not obtain their consent for relocation plan. The petition called for local authorities to hold meetings on the relocation plan to address related issues of compensation, housing and livelihood.
However, the hope is bleak for the petition to be heard in the Tibetans’ favor the project is China’s state owned and managed.
Despite growing environmental concerns on Tibetan plateau China plans for more dams and infrastructure developments in its 13th five-year plan (2016-2020) in Tibetan autonomous prefectures like Yunnan, Qinghai and Sichuan.
China is looking towards large-scale dam building projects as source to meet its energy needs. “China’s aggressive approach to achieve its ‘core interest’ of energy production and carbon reduction will see more Tibetans’ relocation and resettlement to unproductive living, their customary rights to land and food security taken way with little or no compensation,” stated TCHRD in its report.
It is indicated that many dams and infrastructure projects in China are proceeded without proper Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
