Two Tibetans arrested for having contacts with Tibetans-in-exile
Crackdown on WeChat communication continues in eastern Tibet
According to Tibet Watch’s sources, two Tibetans in their mid-thirties were arrested in eastern Tibet earlier this month for communicating with Tibetans in exile.
Samten Sangpo and Tsultrim, both from Machen County, Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, were arrested by the local police on 16 April 2021. They were accused of communicating with Tibetans living outside Tibet on WeChat, a popular Chinese multipurpose phone application. Tsultrim is the husband-in-law of Samten. They were both handed over to Machen County (Ch:Maqin) police by authorities in Tridu County (Ch.: Chenduo), but details about their current location and health condition remain unknown.
According to the same source, in recent months the Chinese authorities in the same eastern Tibetan region of Tsongon Province (Ch: Qinghai) and Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, have been closely monitoring Tibetans who have relatives or close contacts with Tibetans-in-exile. Authorities reportedly organised meetings and warned the Tibetans against maintaining connection with Tibetans-in-exile. In addition to cybersurveillance apparatus, recruitment of people to carry out espionage and monitor online communication are underway, enticing them through the promise of huge lump sum cash rewards and government aid.
These politically motivated activities to monitor, spy and threaten the Tibetans who have relatives and contact with Tibetan in exile put extreme pressure on the Tibetans inside Tibet. They are considered prime suspects for any leakages of information related to human rights violations in Tibet.
These arrests in eastern Tibet follow the delayed report of the arrest of a Tibetan nomad on 13 October 2020, Tashi Gyal, from Ragya Town , Machen County who was imprisoned for one year, for WeChat posts dating back to 2014 and 2015. Likewise, in February 2021, three Tibetan teenagers from Kyegudo in Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, also governed Qinghai Province, were arrested. The three teengaers were founders of a WeChat group with 240 members.
Public gathering by Golog Police authorities