Tibetans in western China are forced to leave their homes in order to build a dam
According to media reports, Tibetan residents of Rebgong county in western China have been asked to leave their homes because a hydroelectric project is being built there. This has forced them off the farms they depend on for a livelihood.
According to a Tibetan from Rebgong who now lives in exile, authorities in Lingya village, about an hour’s drive from Rebgong, issued the order on May 23 requiring residents of seven villages in the area to move so that the Chinese government could start the first phase of construction 10 days after the notice’s issue date.
The source said, “The authorities have warned the Tibetans not to show any kind of condemnation.” “The land that is being confiscated by the Chinese government is farmland, which is the livelihood of Tibetans,” the source said.
According to RFA, Rebgong, also known as Tongren in Chinese, is located in the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Malho, also known as Huangnan, which is home to a sizable Tibetan population.
Residents of the unrest-ridden Tibet Autonomous Region and Tibetan-populated areas in western China are under the rigorous authority of Chinese authorities, who also impose restrictions on their freedom to peacefully express their cultural and religious identity.
Chinese businesses and local authorities are accused by Tibetans of unlawfully claiming property and upsetting the lives of the local population, which has often resulted in confrontations.
According to RFA, many lead to violent repression, the incarceration of protest organisers, and significant pressure on the local populace to submit to government demands.
Another exiled Tibetan said that while authorities have started seizing land, they have not yet spoken about compensating those whose homes are being evicted.
