Translated by Choegyal Kyab
Reported by Palden
Edited by Pema Tso
The Chinese government continues to investigate and remove, one after another, several high-ranking officials in Tibet under charges of disloyalty to the state, loss of Party principles and character, and corruption. Recently, they launched an investigation into the Deputy Party Secretary of Kyegu do (Chinese:Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture).
On the 12th of this month, the Chinese government announced it is investigating Sherab Gyatso, who serves as both the Deputy Party Secretary of Kyegu Do and Magistrate of Nangchen County. According to official news reports, he is suspected of serious violations of laws and regulations. He is the third high-ranking Tibetan official whose investigation has been publicly announced by the Chinese government in the past three months.
Over the past two years, approximately 15 high-ranking officials in the Tibet region have been investigated and removed from their positions. On January 23rd of this year, it was announced that Che Dalha, the Chairman of the so-called Tibet Autonomous Region government, was under investigation for serious violations of laws and regulations. Similarly, on December 11th last year, Wu Yingjie, the former Party Secretary of the Tibet Autonomous Region, was expelled from the Party membership under charges of losing faith in the Party, deviation from Party principles and character, and moral degradation.
Similarly, at the end of 2022, Zhang Yongze, the Deputy Chairman of the so-called Tibet Autonomous Region government; Wang Ningshen, Deputy Director of the Propaganda Department’s Standing Committee; and Yang Kangmin, Deputy Director of the Standing Committee of the so-called Tibet Autonomous Police Department, were all removed from their positions.
On February 3, 2024, Yeshe Dorje, Deputy Chief of the Police Department in Tawu County of Karze Prefecture; on November 24, 2022, Tsering Gyurme, Director of the Chamdo City United Front Work Department; and in 2022, Wen Guodong, a Chinese official who had served in leadership positions for over 33 years in Tsoshar (Chinese: Haidong)and Tsonub (Chinese: Haixi)of Tibet’s Qinghai province and Kyegu Do, along with at least 15 other high-ranking officials in the Tibet region, were reportedly investigated and arrested.
On January 24, 2014, under the leadership of Chinese Communist Party leader Xi Jinping, the Central Political Office convened a meeting and established the National Security Commission. Under the implementation of eight regulations set by the central government and the decision to make overall improvements to future work, many officials from both central and local levels in China and occupied regions including Tibet were investigated, imprisoned, and sentenced under charges of corruption, misuse of public funds, and extravagance. This campaign generally received widespread public support and approval.
Many China watchers view this major movement as a battle for Xi Jinping’s political faction to consolidate power, wielding charges from violations of central government regulations to disloyalty, corruption, and bribery. The campaign has notably expanded to target intellectuals, environmentalists, and human rights activists who challenge Party ideology, often through accusations of harming social stability and attempting to split the country.
