Chinese authorities in Tibet now demand information on relatives staying abroad

Launched in Dingri county in the Tibet Autonomous Region’s (TAR) Shigatse prefecture in April, the campaign quickly broke its promises to Tibetan villagers who provided the required information, a source living in the region told RFA’s Tibet Service.

“Families who agreed to provide the details of their relatives living abroad were interrogated again when Chinese authorities showed up after 15 days and confiscated their mobile phones,” RFA’s source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

“And despite having given the authorities all the information they asked for, they were denied the benefits they were promised anyway,” he said.

The drive has also been launched in other parts of Tibet, including Nagchu (in Chinese, Naqu) prefecture in the TAR and Lithang (Litang) county in Sichuan’s Kardze (Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, a source in Tibet told RFA.

“People with family members living outside Tibet are being forced to register their own names and then provide details about their relatives, such as their names, photos, occupation, and how long they have been living in India.”

“If they do not register these things at their local office, they have to go to the county to do it later on,” he said.

Along with India's Arunachal Pradesh, China claims Tibet as its own, undermining the sovereignty of the territory. Beijing controls Tibet's 12.28 lakh sq km territory, considering it an inalienable part since the 13th century.