News and Views on Tibet

Over 100 officials in Tibet reprimanded under zero-Covid policy

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Health care workers conducting mass testing in Lhasa (Photo/Instagram)

By Choekyi Lhamo

DHARAMSHALA, Aug 31: China’s strict Zero Covid-19 policy has reprimanded over 100 officials in Tibet for failing to contain the spread of the coronavirus. As per state-backed media reports, the so-called Tibet Autonomous Region accounted for nearly 500 infections out of 1300 cases reported in the whole of China on Saturday, with Xinjiang(East Turkestan) and Hainan as other major hotspots.

In Shigatse (Ch: Xigaze) where the outbreak began, 77 officials faced disciplinary action in August for dereliction of Covid-19 duty with 10 losing their jobs, whereas dozens were rewarded for “outstanding performance” through promotion, according to South China Morning Post. Distressing videos continue to emerge from inside Tibet of Chinese officials harassing Tibetans amid mass testing, extensive contact tracing and subsequent quarantine in below par facilities.

Local Tibetans line up for mass testing for Covid-19 in Lhasa (photo/Instagram)

Last week, five officials were fired and many were handed stern warnings in Lhasa city for negligence in pandemic control, according to Chinese state media Tibet Daily. The Communist Party committee of the Shannan city bordering Nepal said that six local officials had been reprimanded over lapses in work. The official statement from Tibet’s governing body noted that the officials were punished for their “lack of political standing”, “inadequate implementation of pandemic prevention and control work” and “serious bureaucracy, formalism, ineffective performance of duties [and] dereliction of duty”.

Washington-based International Campaign for Tibet earlier this month stated that Chinese tourists flocking to Tibet, is seen as one of the root causes of the Covid-19 outbreak in Tibet. ICT further said that the restrictive measures in place has more to do with the upcoming Chinese Congress meet than the welfare of its citizens, “The current outbreak comes at a sensitive period leading to the 20th Congress of the Chinese Communist Party scheduled for some time in October, when General Secretary Xi Jinping is expected to get an unprecedented third term in office.”

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