Tsongon Tsering, a 29-year-old Tibetan from Tsaruma Town in Ngaba (Aba) Prefecture, has been sentenced to eight months in prison by Chinese authorities for protesting online against the illegal sand mining taking place in his local river. The sand mining, carried out by the Anhui Xianhe Construction Engineering Company, has caused significant environmental damage to the Khyungchu (or Kakhog) County river in Sichuan Province, a critical waterway that feeds into major river systems, including the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers.
The sentencing took place on October 27, 2024, when the Khyungchu (Qiongxi) County People’s Court convicted Tsongon Tsering on charges of “inciting public unrest out of personal hatred.” His protest, which included a video exposé shared on the Kuaishou social media platform on October 15, drew attention to the destructive mining practices and the severe environmental repercussions they pose. In his five-minute video, Tsongon Tsering condemned the illegal activities that have been causing harm to the river, which is known locally as Dangchu, and urged the higher authorities to intervene.
Despite initially being threatened with a much longer prison sentence of at least one and a half years, Tsongon Tsering received a lesser sentence due to his lack of prior criminal offenses. However, the court made it clear that his sentence could be subject to change depending on his and his family’s future behavior, adding an additional layer of uncertainty to his legal situation.
The court proceedings on October 27 were tightly controlled, with the local authorities attempting to intimidate the public. It was reported that anyone wishing to attend the hearing was required to submit their identification several days in advance, which deterred many from attending. As a result, only a handful of people were present in the courtroom, a sign of the fear and repression felt by the local Tibetan community.
Tsongon Tsering’s activism and the widespread support he garnered among local Tibetans highlight the growing discontent with the environmental exploitation taking place across Tibetan regions under Chinese control. Tsongon Tsering is seen by many as a victim who was targeted for bringing attention to a critical issue that threatens the well-being of both the environment and local Tibetan communities.
In a rare admission, Chinese authorities acknowledged that Anhui Xianhe Construction Engineering Company had indeed engaged in illegal sand mining in the region. However, the company was only fined a relatively light penalty, which has been widely criticized as insufficient given the scale of the environmental destruction.
Tsongon Tsering’s case is part of a troubling pattern of increasing repression against Tibetans who speak out on environmental and human rights issues. Following his online exposé, several other Tibetans were summoned for questioning by the police on October 22, but Tsongon Tsering was the only one to be detained.
The illegal sand mining in Tsaruma Township is just one example of the many environmentally devastating projects being carried out in Tibet, which continue to put local communities at risk while disregarding the environmental sustainability of the region. The Tsaruma river, feeding into the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers, is an important water source, making the destruction of its ecosystem particularly alarming.
As Tsongon Tsering serves his sentence, the case underscores the broader struggle for environmental justice in Tibet, where activists continue to face harsh consequences for standing up to exploitative practices that harm their land, culture, and people.
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