The construction of a large hydropower station by the Chinese Communist authorities on the Jinsha River upstream has attracted widespread attention. According to foreign media reports, in February of this year, several Tibetan villagers and monks in Dege County, Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, protested against the authorities’ construction of a hydropower station on the Jinsha River and the forced relocation of them, resulting in rare violent clashes between officials and civilians in recent years, and strict control has been maintained by the authorities since then.
The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) Chinese website reported yesterday (23rd) that according to eyewitnesses and verified videos, in February of this year, hundreds of Tibetans were severely suppressed for protesting against the authorities building dams, with some suffering serious injuries. Such protests are extremely rare in Tibet, as the region has been under tight control since the Chinese military entered Tibet in the 1950s. The authorities have been blocking information related to the incident to this day.
The incident took place in Dege County, Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province. For years, the Chinese Communist authorities have been planning to build a large Gantuo (or Kantuo in Tibetan) dam and hydropower station in the valley between Dege County and Jorda County. The reservoir of the dam will submerge areas with cultural and religious significance to the Tibetans, including several villages and ancient temples. This includes a 700-year-old monastery called Wangdui Monastery (in Tibetan called Wangtuo Monastery).
The construction of the Gantuo dam will also force thousands of Tibetans to relocate. A bidding document indicates that 4,287 residents will need to be relocated for the dam construction.
Radio Free Asia’s Tibetan department reported on February 19th this year that at least 300 local Tibetans gathered outside the government building in Dege County, Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, on February 14th to protest against the authorities’ project to build a hydropower station on the Jinsha River. The project will force residents in at least two villages and six temples in the vicinity to move.
Multiple videos related to Tibetan protests that emerged in February are preserved on an overseas platform X. For example, on February 14th, hundreds of Tibetans from Wangbudeng Township, Dege County, Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, gathered at the Dege County government to demand the government to halt the construction of the Gantuo hydropower station. (Video link)
According to a post by the account “Yesterday,” the Gantuo hydropower station is the headwater reservoir power station for the cascade development of the Jinsha River in the upper reaches of the Sichuan-Tibet section. Local Tibetans pointed out that the construction of the hydropower station will not only cause severe damage and impact to the ecological environment of the Jinsha River basin but also seriously infringe upon and impact the local ethnic culture and religious beliefs. Tibetan residents are forced to relocate, losing their land, houses, farmland, and ancestral tombs.
On the day of the assembly, Tibetans gathered at the gate of the Dege County government, chanting slogans, refusing to leave their hometown, and demanding the immediate cessation of the construction of the Gantuo hydropower station by the authorities. A large number of riot police were dispatched to maintain order and scuffles broke out with the protesting Tibetans.
BBC reported yesterday citing sources that hundreds of people were arrested by the authorities during the crackdown and raids were conducted to search residents in the valley. Many were detained for weeks, with some being severely beaten. The families and friends of the Tibetans were also major targets of this crackdown.
The Dege County Public Security Bureau reportedly intensified stability maintenance measures afterwards and began the informationization construction project of the Gantuo checkpoint, setting up security gates, X-ray machines, facial recognition equipment, and license plate recognition devices at the Jinsha River bridge to inspect individuals and vehicles passing through.
BBC noted that the station has been monitoring the valley through satellite images for several months and has not found any signs of dam construction, or the demolition of villages and temples. The Chinese embassy told BBC that the authorities are still conducting geological surveys and professional research to advance the dam construction.
In July this year, the Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Human Rights Council wrote to Beijing, expressing concerns about the “irreversible impact” of the dam on thousands of people and the environment. However, the Chinese official has not responded.
According to Human Rights Watch data, since 2000, over 930,000 rural Tibetans have been displaced from their homes. Beijing has always claimed that these relocations were voluntary for the Tibetans. However, human rights organizations criticized the involvement of coercion, inadequate compensation, overcrowded living conditions, and a lack of job opportunities.
In April 2024, Tibetans in Banda Village, Dege County, Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, also prevented the authorities from building a tunnel, leading to the arrest of multiple Tibetans.