Enforced disappearance: Human rights group reports more than 50k cases in China's mainland

On the eve of International Day of the Disappeared, a human rights group on Wednesday urged the world to remember the victims of China's 'enforced disappearance'. The people who disappeared are victims of the China-administered crackdown on the residents of Tibet Autonomous Prefecture. The victims include monks, nuns, writers, artists, farmers, community leaders and students from Tibetan and Uyghur communities; ANI reported quoting Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD).

As of September 1, "Sixty Tibetans had been detained between 23-24 August," the organisation said in a statement. "More Tibetans were detained following thorough house to house searches from 25 to 29 August in Wonpo Township in Dzachuka area in Sershul (Ch: Shiqu) county, Kardze (Ch: Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, in the Tibetan province of Kham," the statement added. As per the ANI report, approximately 50,000 cases of 'enforced disappearance' were reported from China in 2021, and at least 40 cases were reported from Tibetan areas, TCHRD said.

"Following the latest mass detention, all monks above 18 years of age from Wonpo monastery were ordered to report to the local law enforcement offices from 31 August in batches of 20 daily to prove their innocence in ‘Illegal’ activities," said TCHRD.       

TCHRD also informed that it is concerned about the "expanding crackdown and fears that more Tibetans will be arbitrarily detained and subjected to the discriminatory and unfair Chinese criminal justice system." The organisation called for the "immediate and unconditional release of all Tibetans detained and a halt to the crackdown."

Tibetian activists mark the 'International Day of the Disappeared' in UK

Meanwhile, Tibetan activist groups in the United Kingdom also marked the International Day of the Disappeared in London. On Tuesday, the activists chanted slogans outside the Chinese Embassy. The rally was organised by the London-based Free Tibet, Global Alliance for Tibet and Persecuted Minorities (GATPM), with the cooperation of Tibetan Community UK and the International Tibet Network to mark the occasion.

"Population optimisation strategy"

As per reports, Beijing has begun the unrestricted crackdown on Tibetans and Uyghurs as a part of the "population optimisation strategy." As per the "strategy," China has shifted to immigrating Han Chinese nationals to Uyghur majority regions "while imposing strict birth controls" on Uyghurs, ANI quoted German researchers Adrian Zenz as saying to Radio Free Asia.

With inputs from ANI

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