By Tsering Dhundup
DHARAMSHALA, Aug. 20: Gonpo Kyi, the sister of imprisoned Tibetan businessman and philanthropist Dorje Tashi, is in critical condition after attempting suicide in Lhasa, Tibet, on August 20, following days of repeated beatings, confinement, and denial of her right to meet her brother and his lawyer.
According to reliable sources cited by the Dharamshala-based Tibetan news outlet, Tibet Times, Gonpo Kyi carried out a series of peaceful protests in front of government offices in Lhasa in recent days, demanding access to her brother, who is serving a life sentence for his humanitarian work. However, Chinese security forces repeatedly subjected her to violence, arbitrary detention, and strict surveillance.
On August 18, Gonpo Kyi staged another peaceful protest in Lhasa, but plainclothes officers dragged her through the streets “like an animal”, beat her severely, and injured her leg. From the following day, August 19, she was forcibly confined in a guesthouse under heavy guard, barred from leaving, and assaulted when she resisted and tried to leave the guesthouse.
On the morning of August 20, after yet another violent assault by Chinese security personnel, Gonpo Kyi jumped from the second floor of the guesthouse in an attempt to take her own life. She sustained serious injuries to her waist, arms, and legs and remains in critical condition. Despite her injuries, she has reportedly not been given medical treatment and continues to be held under strict control by authorities.
The incident comes as China prepares to mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the so-called Tibet Autonomous Region on September 9, a period of heightened security in Tibet. Sources further report that Gonpo Kyi’s other brother, Dorje Tseten, has been forcibly relocated from Lhasa to southern Tibet and barred from returning to the so-called Tibet Autonomous Region, amid fears that he could stage protests during the anniversary celebrations. Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in Lhasa today for his second-ever visit to Tibet as China’s leader to preside over the anniversary events.
Dorje Tashi, once a prominent Tibetan businessman and philanthropist, was arrested in the aftermath of the 2008 Tibetan uprising and endured months of torture in detention. On June 26, 2010, the Lhasa Municipality Intermediate People’s Court sentenced him to life imprisonment on charges of “illegal business operations” following a three-day secret trial, the details of which remain undisclosed. The case is widely regarded as politically motivated. His older brother Dorjee Tsetan was also imprisoned for six years. Despite repeated appeals by family members and lawyers along with hunger strikes and peaceful protests led by his sister, Gonpo Kyi. Chinese authorities have refused to review the verdict or allow prison visits.
Over the years, Gonpo Kyi has staged multiple protests outside courts and government offices in Lhasa, enduring repeated detentions, beatings, and intimidation. Nevertheless, she has continued her struggle to seek justice for her brother, whose imprisonment has drawn international condemnation as unjust and politically driven.
Human rights organizations have consistently denounced Beijing’s repression of peaceful Tibetan activists and relatives of political prisoners. The treatment of Gonpo Kyi, they argue, exemplifies China’s broader strategy of criminalizing dissent and silencing Tibetans who dare to peacefully demand justice.
