Tsering Dhundup
DHARAMSHALA, Nov 19: The Chinese government has ordered the relocation of hundreds of Tibetan families from Yarka and Betsang villages near the mountain of Amey Ratoe in traditional province of Amdo, citing landslide risks.
According to Tibet Watch, in late October, authorities mandated the relocation of half the households from upper slopes and base areas. Yarka village, comprising 200 households in Karang Township, and Betsang village with over 100 households, will be impacted.
Residents, primarily farmers producing wheat, barley, peas, buckwheat, and oilseed crops, face limited choices. They can either accept a 150,000 yuan government subsidy or move into government-constructed houses in Yaze County town. Both options compromise villagers’ livelihoods. Subsidy recipients cannot purchase land or construct homes, while those moving to state housing receive no compensation. Families will lose access to farmland, disrupting generations of agricultural practices.
Sources suggest landslide hazard is a guise amid potential mining interests from the government. Investigations and exploratory activities have been undertaken at Amey Ratoe mountain in recent years. Local folklore mentions eight stupas within the mountain, and is revered to be sacred by the Tibetans.
Some Yarka households have already been relocated, while others face pressure to leave their ancestral lands. The mountain is located in Karang Township, Yaze County, within the Tsoshar Prefecture of the Amdo region.
This displacement is part of a broader pattern of resource extraction in Tibet, where China has been aggressively exploring and mining mineral resources. Recent discoveries include lithium deposits in Nyagchu County and copper resources near Lhasa.
Environmental and human rights experts argue that these mining activities pose significant risks to Tibet’s delicate ecosystem and local communities, with concerns about water contamination, environmental degradation, and lack of informed consent from Tibetan residents.
Tibetans in Tibet have been actively protesting against mining activities that disrupt their environment and sacred lands. In 2018, Chinese authorities in Driru County, Nagchu Prefecture, arrested 30 Tibetans, with one individual reported missing, following local opposition to a mining project. The protests involved Tibetans from the villages of Markor, Wathang, and Gochu in Driru County.
