Reported By Kelsang Jinpa
Translated By TenGyal
By establishing a new cooperative in Darlag County, Golog, the Chinese government aims to exert control over livestock herding, the cornerstone of the local nomadic population.
Under the pretext of “ Protecting the Three River Headwaters ”(Sanjiangyuan), what the Tibetans traditionally refer to as the Machu, Drichu and Zach Rivers, the Chinese government is implementing policies that ban pasture grazing and mandate an immediate end to ongoing pastoral activities in Dharlag County, Golog Prefecture, Tsongon Province(Qinghai Province).
According to the source who provided the information, the policy prohibiting grassland grazing directly impacts the livelihoods of more than 33,000 nomadic households in Dharlag County. Out of Golog’s population of over 215,600 Tibetans, the vast majority have traditionally relied on and continue to rely on livestock—horses, yaks, and sheep—for their survival; consequently, the ban on pasturing on their own grasslands is directly threatening the livelihood and sustenance of the local Tibetan population.
A local Tibetan expressed, “If we are not allowed to graze our livestock on our own grasslands, how are we supposed to survive?”The Chinese government is currently enforcing this grazing ban across Golog Prefecture—focusing primarily on Dharlag County—under the pretexts of desertification control, wetland protection, and balancing grass and livestock levels.
Also, in connection with the establishment of the new cooperative in Dharlag County, reports emerged in early October that the Dharlag County People’s Government demolished eight Tibetan residential homes and three large fenced compounds in Nyi-oe (lit. Sunshine) Village, Dharlag County.
Although Tibetans have inhabited this area since ancient times, the Chinese government demolished those homes under the pretext that the families lacked standard legal documentation and were occupying state land, claiming the area was designated as local government land reserves.
