Reported By Palden
Edited By Yangchen Tso
Translated By TenGyal
In 2024, the Chinese government intensified its crackdown on Tibetan communities, resulting in the arrest of at least 60 Tibetans, according to verified reports from *Tibet Times*. Among those detained, four individuals received prison sentences ranging from four months to three years. Tragically, three Tibetans died from severe beatings during interrogations, while another took their own life in protest. Additionally, a former political prisoner succumbed to health complications following their release. Despite these harsh conditions, eight Tibetan political prisoners were released this year.
1)Tibetans Prosecuted and Sentenced This Year
Venerable Lobsang Tashi, the former lead chant master of Kriti Monastery, Ngaba, whose whereabouts remained unknown for months after being suddenly abducted and arrested by the Chinese police on June 10, 2021, was secretly prosecuted and sentenced to three years’ imprisonment in January 2024. Presently, he continues to be held in the Mianyang Prison in Sichuan.
Samten, a Tibetan from Tsochen County in Ngari, was prosecuted and sentenced to three years imprisonment on April 2, 2024. He was arrested and imprisoned without any explanation of the charges. Furthermore, his younger sister was subjected to beatings during interrogations and had to be admitted to the Tsochen County Hospital.
Similarly, in mid-March, Jampa Chophel, a monk from Rebgong, Tsongun, was arrested from his private residence. He was prosecuted for sharing a speech by His Holiness the Dalai Lama as the background of his WeChat account and sentenced to one and a half years in prison in August 2024.
On October 27, the Khyungchu County Court prosecuted the young Tibetan environmentalist Tsongon Tsering on trumped-up charges of ” inciting social unrest out of personal spite.” It sentenced him to eight months of imprisonment in the Khyungchu County Prison.
2) Enforced Disappearance after Arrest and Detention
On January 4, 2024, four local policemen arrested Tamding, a native Tibetan from the town of Arig, Dhola County, Qinghai Province, on the allegations of ” contacting and sharing sensitive information with outsiders.”
In February, the Chinese government arrested and forcibly abducted Tenzin Khyenrab, a monk who was also known by his pen name Dong Rangchag, a monk from Othok Medtha village in Nyakchu County, Tibet. The authorities accused him of possessing a photo of His Holiness the Dalai Lama on his phone. Over a year has since passed without any updates on his situation. The prolonged uncertainty and worry took a toll on his mother’s health, leading to its deterioration, and she tragically passed away.
Also, in February, while urging the Chinese government to halt work on a hydropower project and stop the forced resettlement of Tibetans, more than 10 Tibetans, including Rigzin, Thuphur, Dechen Dolma, Yangkyi, and Tsedup, were abducted and detained by authorities. They were accused of “inciting the public and causing social unrest.”
On March 26, a monk named Pema from Kirit Monastery staged a bold protest against the repressive policies of the Chinese government. He carried a large portrait of the Dalai Lama and shouted slogans on Martyrs’ Lane near the monastery in Ngaba. His demonstration was swiftly interrupted as police abducted and arrested him on the spot.
At the end of May, a 26-year-old monk from a monastery in Chigdril (Jiǔzhì) County, Golog, was arrested on charges of “engaging in separatist activities” after commenting on a post critical of Chinese Communist Party policies. Subsequently, senior county officials and representatives from the county’s United Front Work Department visited the monastery to reprimand the tulku, lamas, and staff of the monastery’s so-called “public affairs office.” In the aftermath, approximately 100 monks were subjected to a ten-day “political education” program.
In May, approximately 20 villagers from Dharlag County were arrested and forcibly taken to Golog Prefecture. Among those detained were Khenpo Tenpa Dhargye and the village leader of Ponkor, Gonpo Namgyal. Concerned devotees remain deeply worried about Khenpo Dhargye’s health condition.
In August, Zomkyi, the sister of Tseten—a former student of the now-closed Ragya Sherig Norbuling School—was forcibly abducted and arrested on baseless allegations of “spreading false information about the school.” Her whereabouts and current condition remain unknown.
In September, Chinese authorities arrested four monks from Kirti Monastery in Ngaba. The monks—Lobsang Samten, Lobsang Thinley, Tsering Tashi, and Benkyi—were accused of “maintaining contact with outsiders.”
On December 13, the police station of Dragkar County, Tsolho ( Hainan) Prefecture in Qinghai, under the mandate of the broad-sweeping anti-corruption campaign “Sweep Away Black and Eliminate Evil,” charged five Tibetans with engaging in “criminal and illegal activities.” Among the accused were Aga Gelektsang or Sonam Choedub, a businessman who is famous on online platforms, Kunsang Dorje, Tenpa, Tsen Thargyal, and Tashi Loden.
On December 13, the Dragkar County police station in Tsolho (Hainan) Prefecture, Qinghai Province, acting under the broad mandate of the nationwide anti-corruption campaign, “Sweep Away Black and Eliminate Evil,” charged five Tibetan individuals with alleged involvement in “criminal and illegal activities.” Among the accused were Aga Gelektsang, also known as Sonam Choedub—a businessman well-known on online platforms—and Kunsang Dorje, Tenpa, Tsen Thargyal, and Tashi Loden.
After announcing plans to gather additional leads and evidence from various sectors of society, the authorities arrested and detained the individuals. Since their arrest, they have not been seen or heard from. In 2024 alone, the Chinese government abducted and arrested over 60 people on various charges, with their conditions and whereabouts remaining unknown.
3)Released Political Prisoners:
In January 2024, Kunchok Drakpa, a monk from Tashi Monastery in Thebo County who was arbitrarily arrested and abducted in 2003, was released.
Rinchen Tsultrim, a monk from Nangshi Monastery, Ngaba, was sentenced to four and half years imprisonment on the allegations of “inciting social unrest and engaging in separatist activities” on February 1, 2019. In 2024, after completing his sentence, he was released from Mianyang Prison, Chengdu.
On March 4, 2023, Yangtso, a Tibetan woman, was forcibly arrested and abducted from Gangri restaurant in Shigatze. Following a search in her phone, she was accused of ” sharing photos with outside contacts.” Similarly, Tibetan social media influencer Tashi Nyima’s account was immediately shut down on August 28 after he discussed promoting the Tibetan language in his live feed. He was released after being detained for three days. Both of them were released on March 5, 2024.
Even though the Chinese authorities released Golog Palden, who was arrested in 2023, before the end of his sentence on September 25, 2024, his movement and activities continue to be monitored, with him being warned not to sing any patriotic songs in the future. Similarly, Geshe Rachung Gedun from Kirti Monastery, Ngaba, was released early before the completion of the sentence on November 16, 2024. Yet, due to his frail health at the time of release, he had to be hospitalized for medical supervision.
On December 9, 2024, the acclaimed Tibetan writer Rongwo Gedun Lhundub was released from prison. Although his health condition remains unclear while he is under medical supervision, many Tibetan admirers and educators continue to celebrate and rejoice in his release.
Karma Samdub, a Tibetan environmentalist and collector of antique artifacts who was prosecuted and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment, was released on December 18, 2024. At the time of release, his back was severely injured. His movements continue to be restricted and secretly monitored.
4)Deceased Political Prisoners:
On January 15, 2024, Tsedon, a Tibetan girl from Ritso, Nyemo County, passed away in Nemo County Hospital after being subjected to severe beatings in detention. Blaming the death on a fall, her body was withheld from her family. She was initially arrested and abducted in 2023.
Tenzin Dorje, a monk from Shingkar Monastery in Dingri County, Tibet, was accused of publicly explaining a book of writings by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and sharing related teachings in April 2023. In May 2023, Chinese authorities abducted him, subjected him to intense interrogation, and severely tortured him for several days before releasing him. Tragically, he was found to have taken his own life at his home on May 25, 2023.
In May 2024, Lobsang, a monk from Sera Monastery, was arrested on suspicion of “contacting individuals outside of Tibet and gathering and sharing information from within Tibet.” During his imprisonment, he endured severe beatings. Despite developing a chronic illness, the Chinese authorities denied him medical care and supervision. He passed away in the detention center.
On September 28, 2024, Thupten Yeshe, a former political prisoner, passed away in Lhasa. Thupten, who was from Gyama Dhasar, Maldo Gongkar County, was previously sentenced to 15 years imprisonment by the Chinese authorities.
Gonpo Namgyal, the village leader from Ponkor, Golog, passed away on December 28, 2024. The authorities had arrested him in May. While Gonpo Namgyal’s body was being prepared for cremation, it was discovered that he had suffered internal burns and injuries caused by repeated severe beatings and electrocution.
5) Wave of Sinicized Education and the Decline of The Tibetan Language:
In April 2024, Chinese authorities forcibly shut down Luktsang Palyon, a Tibetan language blog that had been sharing Tibetan literary works from both within and outside Tibet for the past 11 years. Officials cited alleged copyright and publishing rights violations as the reason for the closure. Launched initially as a website in 2013, Luktsang Palyon later evolved into a messaging blog on WeChat. Over the past decade, it featured a wide range of content, including works by Tibetan writers, sections on Tibetan songs, translations, and studies on Tibetan culture. Recently, it has become one of the most popular blogs in Tibet.
In mid-December 2024, a notice shared in a parents’ WeChat group urged families to reconsider whether their children should continue studying Tibetan, as the language would no longer be included in college entrance examinations. Since Tibetan began to be excluded from exams around 2022, many Tibetan teachers and students have faced significant challenges. As Chinese authorities intensify restrictions on the use of the Tibetan language, numerous Tibetan youths have increasingly voiced their concerns online, emphasizing the importance of preserving their language and expressing alarm over it being reduced to an optional subject in examinations.
In September 2024, reports surfaced that five young monks from Muge Monastery in Zungchu County, Ngaba, attempted suicide by drowning but were prevented by the local public. This incident followed strict directives from Chinese authorities prohibiting monks under 18 from residing in monastic institutions. Authorities claimed that traditional Tibetan monasteries fail to provide meaningful education to Tibetan children.
In December 2024, the Chinese authorities in the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) implemented a stringent directive explicitly forbidding students from attending workshops not included in the official school syllabus, participating in religious activities, or visiting temples during the winter break.
The Chinese authorities have also imposed strict restrictions on numerous monasteries in the Amdo region. Notably affected are Kirti Monastery in Ngaba, Kirti Monastery in Taktsang Lhamo, Gomang Monastery, Tsendog Monastery in Machu County, and Labrang Monastery in Sangchu County. Parents of young monks face significant difficulties due to coercive notices from authorities forbidding them from enrolling their children in these monastic institutions. Additionally, the Chinese government has intensified its crackdown by forcing the closure of many privately run Tibetan schools and banning Tibetan students from studying the Tibetan language during school holidays.
6) Ragya Sherig Norbuling School Forcibly Shut Down.
On July 14, 2024, a closing ceremony was held to mark the shutdown of Ragya Shering Norbuling, a renowned school in Tibet. Representatives from 18 different government bodies in the Qinghai Province, Golog region, and Machen County attended the ceremony. On April 12, the school received a notice to cease operations immediately. This decision was mainly due to the efforts of the communist secretaries in Golog, who urged and mounted pressure through a series of legal actions over the years.
In response to these developments, Ven. Ragya Jigme, the founder of the school, publicly posted the following on his personal WeChat account:” O Golog Jigme Gyaltsen People’s Vocational School, if you lived only up to 30 years, at such a young age and in the prime of your body, it is indeed such a loss. Impermanence is indeed impermanence. Disintegrating moment by moment and not abiding unchanged is the inevitable fact of impermanence. As we accept rebirth and the unbroken succession of rebirths, it is now not remiss to dedicate our prayers to the next birth. If the dead cannot be resurrected, what good is it to cry and lament? It is better to pray to be born with an excellent and fortunate body in the next life. This is the best course of action. So, please, I request you all not to be sad and continue to shoulder your (own) responsibilities.”
Tibetans, both inside and outside Tibet, have expressed deep and unprecedented concern over the abrupt closure of a school that placed significant emphasis on preserving the Tibetan language.
Ragya Sherig Norbuling School was formally established in August 1994 after receiving permission from the Golog Local People’s Government. It was the first privately operated school in Qinghai Province.
On April 14, 2001, the Golog Local People’s Government approved its conversion to a special high school. In 2002, the Jigme Gyaltsen Private School changed its name to Jigme Gyaltsen Phende School. In 2003, the Qinghai Civil Affairs Department officially selected it as one of the organizations contributing to public welfare. On March 7, 2006, the National Association of Vocational Education in China turned it into the Qinghai Experimental School. The school was considered one of the most reputed schools in Tibet for specialized Tibetan language studies.
7) Construction of New Dams and Forceful Resettlement of Tibetans:
In February 2024, as the Chinese government began working on constructing a new dam project along the Drichu River, the local monasteries and people were issued strict orders that they must resettle to other locations. For three days, on February 20, 21, and 22,2024, locals of Wontoe in Derge and other areas peacefully appealed to the officials with tearful requests, attempting to reverse the forceful order. The peaceful appeal was met with a sudden onslaught of reckless beatings by Chinese police. Some of the people had to be admitted to the Derge County People’s Hospital, while many ordained as well as lay people were abducted and arrested. The Chinese authorities also imposed strict restrictions on the movement of the local public.
Following the incident, the Derge County People’s Court, People’s Procuratorate, Public Security Bureau, and Justice Bureau jointly enforced laws such as the Public Security Administration Punishment Law, the Assembly and Parade Protests Law, and the Letter and Petition Regulations. As a result, numerous monks and laypeople who peacefully protested against the Chinese government’s forceful directives in Wönpo Tö, Derge County, Tibet, were arrested and forcibly detained. They were accused of ” not accepting and following directives issued by higher authorities and inciting social unrest.” A large number of troops were deployed in the area, threatening and heavily suppressing the public.
In April 2024, as work continued on the site of the Yangkhyil Hydropower Plant project along the rightwards bend of the Machu River in Karmo, Dagkar County in the Tibetan region of Hainan Prefecture, the Chinese authorities issued forcible directives that the nearby Atsok Dechen Choekhorling Monastery must be relocated to Khyokar Naklo, a mountain pass which is located about 3-4km far away from the town of Palkha. Authorities held a function titled “The Construction Ceremony for the Relocation of Atsok Monastery, Dagkar County, from the Yangkhyil Hydropower Plant Project Site.” This event officially marked the beginning of the monastery’s relocation process. Additionally, the plant’s construction led to the displacement of 5,445 individuals from 1,085 households across the three nearby counties of Dragkar, Beldzong (Tongde), and Mangra.
A poignant video clip went viral at the time, capturing people weeping as they prostrated before Atsok Monastery. Soon after, heartbreaking images and videos surfaced, revealing the monastery’s complete destruction.
Also, in April 2024, the Chinese authorities constructed the Marteng (Maerdaeng) Reservoir, a new dam along the highest flow area of the Machu (Yellow) River, near Marteng Village of Ragya County, Golog. More than 100 households in the region were forced to relocate with substantial monetary compensation. The construction of the new reservoir has led to the submersion of a historic Kagyupa monastery dating back to the era of the Fourth Karmapa, the sacred site of the local deity Ama MachamLhamo, and significant portions of the original forest areas of Ragya beneath the water.
In late October, citing concerns over a potential collapse at the sacred Amnye Ratoe Mountain in Karing Village, Yadzi (Xinha) County of Tsoshar (Haidong Prefecture), Tsongon (Qinghai) Province, the Chinese government mandated the forced relocation of nearly half the populations of Yaka and Bitsang Villages. Amnye Ratoe is the most sacred mountain in Karing, home to nearly 22 semi-nomadic villages. Yaka Village has around 200 households, while Bitsang Village has approximately 100. Notably, about 30% of the households in these villages are situated along or on the mountain’s slopes. Many families were forcibly ordered to relocate to other areas.
8)Gonpo Kyi Filed Four Complaints in 2024:
Gonpo Kyi, sister of prominent Tibetan businessman Dorje Tashi, persistently protested her brother’s unjust sentencing by the Tibetan Autonomous Region People’s Court and called for a retrial. She held peaceful demonstrations before the so-called “Tibetan Autonomous Region Higher People’s Court” on February 20 and March 15, 2024.
Reports indicate that on May 28, 2024, Chinese police allegedly beat Gonpo Kyi and forcibly returned her home after she resumed her peaceful protest outside the same court. Later, on September 24, 2024, the Chengguan District Court in Lhasa City dismissed all five charges in Gonpo Kyi’s complaint against the district’s public security bureau, justifying the beatings and detentions as actions conducted by the law.
In 2020, a decade after Dorje Tashi’s imprisonment, his lawyer and family repeatedly appealed for a retrial, arguing that his sentence was unjust and unlawful. However, these efforts yielded no results. In response, Gonpo Kyi staged peaceful demonstrations on seven separate occasions, including hunger strikes and prostrations, in front of the Lhasa Intermediate People’s Court on May 10th and 16th, July 5th and 13th, August 2nd and 25th, and December 12th and 13th, 2023.
9) Tibetan Recipients of International Awards Across Different Disciplines:
Yangchen Lhamo, a Tibetan athlete from the youth team, clinched a gold medal in skiing at the 14th National Winter Games. The eleven-day event occurred in Southern Mongolia from February 17 to 27, 2024.
The five-day Asian Ski Mountaineering Championships took place at the Wanke Songhua Lake Ski Resort in Jilin City, Jilin Province, from March 2 to 6, 2024. Sixty-six athletes from Japan, South Korea, Thailand, and China competed across seven disciplines. Tibetan athlete Tseten Youdon delivered an outstanding performance, securing four gold medals in the women’s short track, downhill speed, individual long-distance, and mixed relay events.
Pema Dolma, a Tibetan runner, clinched the gold medal in the women’s 10,000m race walk final at the World Athletics U20 Championships held in Lima, Peru, from August 27 to September 1, 2024. She secured victory with an impressive time of 43:26.60.
The National Marathon Championship occurred in Hengshui City, Hebei, on September 22, 2024. Tibetan athlete Tsering Tsomo, representing the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) team, won the gold medal with an impressive time of 2:26:47. This remarkable performance set a new women’s record in the national competition.
On June 13, 2024, at the 30th Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema in France, the late acclaimed Tibetan filmmaker Pema Tseden’s film Snow Leopard won the prestigious Cyclo d’Or for Best Film. Additionally, Tibetan director Tseten Tashi received a special mention from the jury. This year’s festival showcased nearly 90 films from various countries, with the selection committee curating nine narrative films and eight documentaries. Of these, eight films were honored with awards.
In 2024, Pema Tseden was posthumously awarded Best Director for his film Balloon at the China Film Directors Association Film Festival. Tibetan actor Jinpa also won Best Actor for his performance.
10)Deceased Tibetan Personalities in Tibet in 2024:
Renowned Tibetan historian Nordrang Ogyen passed away at 92 in Lhasa on November 19, 2024. As reports emerged of his death, many poets, writers, and intellectuals in Tibet mourned the loss and expressed sympathy with the surviving members of the family in a condolence letter. The letter conveyed: “These individuals are the iron fence, guarding both the heart and the edge of the mountains. They have devoted their entire lives to embodying the spirit of these peaks. They are the towering heroes of the brave brothers and sisters of the mountains. Farewell, old man—you who are the very lifeblood of our mother tongue.” The Tibetan poet Kyabchen Dhedrol, the Tibetan writer and human rights activist Shokjang, and others in Tibet also mourned his loss and paid tribute to him.
His legacy is firmly preserved in the twenty volumes of work he left behind, including Joy of Heart: Commentary on the Chronicles of the Queen of Spring’s Song, the two seminal volumes of Compendium of Phenomena, Wondrous Joy: Commentary on the Cloud Messenger, The Biography of the Glorious Powerful Siddha Tsondrue Sangpo, the two volumes of Sheaf of Thoughts: Commentary on the Wish Fulfilling Tree of Poetics, Commentary on the Three Poetic Compositions of Je Tsongkhapa including the Melody of A, Garland of White Crystals: An Account of the Era of Fragmentation in Tibet, White Lotus Petals: Commentary on the Root Text of the Opera of the Dharma King Drimed Kunden, Wondrous Eye-Opener: Collection of Essays on the Four Ancient Economic Centres of Tibet, The Commentary on the Root Text of Milarepa’s Poetic Biography, The Collected Works of Nordang Ogyen and the three volumes of The Garland Of Turquoise: A General History of Tibet.
Gangshuk, the renowned Tibetan singer, passed away due to health complications in Chengdu on January 2, 2024. His passing was met with an outpouring of condolences and solidarity from Tibetan artists, singers, and writers both within Tibet and across the global Tibetan community. Gangshuk, born on September 15, 1973, in Ngaba, pursued his musical education at the Sichuan Conservatory of Music. He was among the first students of the renowned Blue Cuckoo of Snowland Dhube. Demonstrating a deep commitment to Tibetan music, he founded Nyimae Tsowa Lugarling, a Tibetan Nangma bar in Xining City, where he dedicated himself to the professional preservation and promotion of Tibetan songs and music. Gangshuk also played a vital role in mentoring numerous students, fostering their appreciation for the rich musical traditions of Tibet’s three provinces. His songs enjoyed widespread popularity among the Tibetan people, with notable hits including Potala Palace Under the Moonlight, Red Plateau, Holy Mani Stones, Mentally Return, Call of the Heart, and Wonderful Gathering.
