Tibetan nomads sent to labour camps by Chinese authorities over sensitive content on phone

China’s authorities in Tibet Autonomous Region have been detaining more nomadic Tibetans in Drago county and sending them to labour camps for having content deemed politically inappropriate on phones, reported Radio Free Asia, citing people familiar with the situation. A Tibetan in exile who has a source inside the autonomous region was quoted by the media outlet as saying, “Many Tibetans were detained in January after Drago county police searched their phone data in Likhog town”.

“Most of them are detained in a labour camp in Thangnagma,” the exiled Tibetan reportedly said. Most members of the ethnic group living in Likhog are nomads. It is pertinent to note that Likhog is located around 50 kilometres from Drago county of Kardze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. Another Tibetan who declined to give his name for safety reasons told the media outlet, “It is not just a few Tibetans, but many Tibetans arrested this time”.

“All of those who were arrested are nomads,” he also said but could not give an exact figure. Meanwhile, as per the report, the Chinese authorities have even summoned the Tibetans to the police station and asked them if they had processed any photos, videos or any other information which are considered politically sensitive. The Tibetan in exile stated that the authorities summoned and questioned the members of the ethnic group to determine if the owners had been in contact with Tibetans living in exile.

Some are detained even after getting released

The Tibetan living in exile, quoted by Radio Free Asia, even stated that some of the members who were released after a week of detention are then unexpectedly detained again. He further said, “Though the Drago police have searched the cell phone data of the local Tibetans since last October, the situation right now is even worse”. 

These detentions orchestrated by Chinese authorities in the autonomous region have emerged especially at a time when China has the world’s attention as the nation is hosting Beijing Winter Olympics 2022. The United States, among several other nations, announced the diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing to protest against China’s human rights abuses involving Tibetans, Uyghurs and Hongkongers.

(Image: AP)