(TibetanReview.net, Nov01’24) –Chinese authorities admitted last month that a nationally as well as internationally prominent building company had carried out environmentally devastating illegal sand mining in a Tibetan village in Ngaba (or Ngawa, Chinese: Aba) county in Sichuan province, but let it off with a light fine. They latter summoned several local Tibetans and are yet to release a man who carried out a social media exposé of the whole episode.
The man, 29-yer-old Tsongon Tsering, a resident of Tsaruma (Chá’ěrmǎ) town, was currently being held in the Khyungchu Dzong (Chinese: Hongyuan Xian), reported Tibettimes.net Oct 30, citing “reliable information”.
Following his Oct 15 Kuaishou short video social media platform posting of the exposé in a five-minute message, delivered entirely in Chinese, the local police summoned several Tibetans for questioning on Oct 22. All but Tsongon Tsering returned home afterwards, the report said, citing a contact in Tibet.
The source has said Tsongon Tsering’s family and fellow-villagers were hopeful for his release over the next few days.
Meanwhile, the authorities have blacked out Tsongon Tsering from any online presence, with all his postings removed and his name being no long searchable.
The mined sand was stated to be used by the Anhui Xianhe Construction Engineering Company to newly build a road through Tsaruma, Tsongon Tsering’s village.
With posting of pictures, Tsongon Tsering showed how the illegal sand-mining was causing severe soil erosion and threatening local ecosystems.
He emphasized the far-reaching consequences of this activity, noting its potential impact on water security across Asia and the delicate high-altitude environment.
The Tsaruma township river is a tributary that feeds into major Asian river systems, including two of China’s most important waterways – the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers.