(TibetanReview.net, May17’24) — For protesting against their ouster from their grassland and the payment afterward of a laughably paltry compensation for it, Chinese authorities in Markham County of Chamdo City, Tibet Autonomous Region, have subjected the affected Tibetan herdsmen to a series of political education sessions, according to the Tibetan service of rfa.org May 16. They also remain under threats of criminal prosecution as the local authorities have labelled their protest as political opposition.
Besides, area officials were preventing the Tibetan herdsmen from petitioning higher authorities in Chamdo for a fair compensation for their land, the report said, citing two sources with knowledge of the situation, speaking on condition of anonymity due to fear of retaliation from the authorities.
One source has said local authorities had misrepresented the facts by painting the herdsmen’s protests and pleas for a fair compensation as political in nature in their reports to the city and TAR authorities. And they used that as their justification for subjecting the Tibetans to political education sessions.
The herdsmen’s grassland had reportedly been sold illegally to business owners by county officials early last year. However, no one knew anything about it until last month when the new owners sent people to remove the Tibetans and take over their pastureland.
It led to the affected families, numbering 25 Tibetan families in Taktsa village in the county’s Luoni Township, to submit petitions and hold protests. Four of the protesters were taken into custody on Apr 10, subjected to beating, and then let out on Apr 16.
The release was made with the announcement of a paltry compensation of just 3,000 yuan (US$415) per family, which the Tibetans rejected offhandedly.
The officials have reportedly branded the Tibetan herdsmen’s actions as political opposition and subjected them to a series of political education sessions. More than 30 Chinese county officials from various departments at different levels of the county government conducted the political education over the past month, the report cited the sources as saying.
In addition, Chinese authorities are stated to have announced rewards for anyone providing information that could help them identify an individual who shared news of the land grab protest with outside parties.
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The political education sessions were stated to have begun on Apr 16 with the Luoni Township Party Committee organizing what was called a Chinese Communist Party discipline study and political education meeting before an array of over 30 Chinese officials. They were stated to include “members of the township party committee, all party members of directly affiliated branches, at-home cadres, temple management committees, police stations, health centres and school administrators.”
After the meeting, members of what has been described as the “Chinese Working Affairs Committee” were stated to have visited each family to provide political education.
They were stated to have told the Tibetans that the Chinese government would address any problems they faced, but warned against committing the crime of sharing information with people living outside Tibet because it would compromise national dignity and reflect poorly on the Party.
But far from solving their problems, the local authorities have used what the report described as “political manoeuvres” to prevent the local Tibetans from appealing their case to the Chamdo city authorities.
The 1.5-km long, 1 sq-km land taken from the herdsmen is stated to be worth about 5 million yuan, (US$692,000).
However, the authorities’ compensation offer totals only 75,000 yuan (at 3000 yuan per family). And even this was stated to be denied, with the Tibetans facing imprisonment, if they protested or refused to comply with the authorities’ orders.