By Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, Aug 31: In observance of the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, the Dharamshala-based rights group, Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) reported 63 known cases of enforced disappearances in Tibet over the past four years. In its statement, the TCHRD expressed solidarity with the victims and their families, urging China to put an immediate stop to this unlawful practice.
“The Chinese government has flagrantly overlooked its consistent human rights violations and, in direct deflection of international criticism of its human rights records, has covertly legalised enforced disappearances through amendments to the Criminal Procedure Law,” the statement read.
Among the documented cases is that of Tibetan singer Gegjom Dorjee, who was arbitrarily detained by authorities in Khyungchu County on February 12, 2024. His song, “Sad Song of Whirled Tears,” poignantly expressed the struggles of Tibetans under Chinese rule, referencing the absence of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Tibet using the honorific title “Gyalwa.” The song also symbolically addressed the collective suffering of Tibetans, using the metaphor “red-faced.”
In March, Tibetan monk Pema from Kirti Monastery was arbitrarily detained and held incommunicado by local Public Security Bureau officers after staging a peaceful solo protest. He had held a portrait of the Dalai Lama on a road known locally as “Martyrs’ Road” in Ngaba (Ch: Aba) County. Following his detention, Chinese security forces reportedly intensified their control and restrictions in Ngaba, particularly in Soruma village and Kirti Monastery. Pema’s current whereabouts remain unknown.
“Despite international criticism and calls for accountability, China continues to target Tibetans. TCHRD urges the international community to press China to end these violations and ratify the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance,” the organisation expressed.
Due to strict surveillance imposed by Chinese authorities, news of disappearances, incidents of deaths in custody or news in general are often significantly delayed or not able to be relayed outside Tibet.
