Sister of Political Prisoner Arrested in Central Tibet

Youdon

On the morning of 11 July, 20-year-old Youdon was arrested in her home town, Tsarang Township. She is currently being held in a detention centre in the Tibetan capital Lhasa, 500km away.

The reason for Youdon’s arrest has not been confirmed, but she is the younger sister of Zumkar, who was arrested on 23 June 2022 for allegedly being in possession of pictures of the Dalai Lama, which she displayed on the altar in her home.

Images of the Dalai Lama, who has been living in exile since 1959 and is routinely vilified by the Chinese government, are banned in occupied Tibet.

These restrictions were further tightened before the Dalai Lama’s birthday in July, with increased surveillance across Tibet.

Youdon and Zumkar both hail from Tsarang Township in the Tibetan region of Amdo. Under the occupation, the township is governed as part of Nagchu City in the Tibet Autonomous Region.