Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, Jan. 29: A legal team led by Beijing-based Chinese lawyer Dong Peng recently travelled to nomadic regions of Qinghai, the traditional Tibetan province of Amdo, to provide legal assistance to affected communities. The team’s visit followed appeals from local residents who reported long-standing disputes over pastureland ownership, forced relocations, and the absence of fair compensation, according to a report by Tibet Times, a Dharamshala based Tibetan media outlet.
According to the report, in several short videos shared on Dong Peng’s private WeChat account around December 30, the lawyer detailed the scale and nature of the grievances brought forward by nomads. According to him, many herders approached the legal team seeking a resolution to pasture-related disputes that have remained unresolved for years, and in some cases, for decades.
Among the complaints raised, some nomads reported that unclear pasture boundaries had led to continuous disputes spanning decades, despite the existence of witnesses and official land documents. Others said their pastureland had been taken over by external parties, with township authorities not only failing to intervene but actively siding with the opposing parties.
Several residents also described cases in which highways were constructed directly through their pastureland. Although compensation was offered, often as low as 1,800 yuan per mu, many rejected the amount as unfair. Despite their refusal, authorities or construction companies reportedly transferred the compensation directly into their bank accounts and proceeded with construction without consent. In many such cases, residents said they were unsure whether the county government or construction firms were responsible for withholding proper compensation.
Additional complaints involved pastureland being flooded or damaged due to government construction projects, with no compensation or remedial measures provided by the responsible authorities.
In a separate video recorded after the legal team arrived in Qinghai’s nomadic areas, lawyer Dong Peng addressed claims by local authorities that nomads had relocated “voluntarily.” He stated that, in reality, these relocations were carried out under intense pressure, with little to no room for negotiation or meaningful consultation.
Dong explained that officials often failed to obtain written agreements or formal consent, instead visiting households repeatedly to pressure residents into relocating. In some cases, intimidation reportedly occurred both during the day and at night. He stressed that labeling such relocations as “voluntary” lacks any legal basis when no genuine consultation or agreement process has taken place beyond the unilateral imposition of compensation.
According to Dong, such coercive practices are not isolated incidents but are widespread across nomadic areas of Qinghai.
China’s Grassland Law clearly outlines legal safeguards intended to protect grassland users. Articles 50, 51, and 52 of the law, along with Article 47 of Qinghai Province’s implementation measures, stipulate that activities such as land excavation, quarrying, and mineral extraction on grasslands require prior approval from county-level grassland administration authorities. The law also mandates compensation for grassland users in accordance with national and provincial regulations, as well as the restoration of vegetation within a specified timeframe after project completion.
However, according to residents and legal observers, these provisions are routinely ignored. Instead, authorities frequently justify land seizures by claiming that grasslands are state-owned, thereby allowing construction projects to proceed without following lawful procedures, providing adequate compensation, or implementing environmental restoration.
Lawyer Dong Peng emphasized that, under Chinese law, any eviction from pastureland, state expropriation, or relocation must follow legally prescribed procedures. These include the right of affected communities to be informed, to participate in consultations, and to receive fair compensation and relocation benefits.
He stated that his legal team is seeking lawful avenues to resolve these disputes at an early stage and is working to help nomadic communities in Qinghai and other regions exercise their legal rights. However, without meaningful enforcement of existing laws and accountability for violations, affected communities continue to face displacement, loss of livelihoods, and long-term social and economic insecurity.
