(TibetanReview.net, Feb25’25) – Did they make common cause with the Communist Chinese and joined its ranks not because they believed in their ideology or otherwise felt the Tibetan people’s wellbeing to be better ensured by cooperating with these outside forces but simply for the sake of personal aggrandizement and got caught doing it the wrong way? Whatever may be the case, a number of senior ethnic Tibetan officials have been reported investigated, dismissed from the party, removed from government posts, and put on trial for corruption in recent years.
At least 15 senior officials from Tibetan areas of the People’s Republic of China have been investigated, dismissed from the party, and removed from their government posts over the past more than two years, according to the Tibetan language tibettimes.net Feb 18. These included a few ethnic Chinese names as well, including Wu Yingjie, former secretary of the Communist Party of the TAR, who fell from grace on Dec 11, 2024.
And joining their ranks most recently are a former governor and vice-governor of Dechen (Chinese: Diqing) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Yunnan province, according to Washington-based International Campaign for Tibet (savetibet.org) Feb 24.
The group said that on Feb 23, the Central Commission for Discipline Inspection and National Supervisory Commission, the party and government anti-corruption bodies, announced the expulsion of Qi Jianxin, a former governor, and Jangchup (Jiang Chu), a former vice governor, of Dechen, saying they “seriously violated the Party’s political discipline”, were “disloyal and dishonest to the Party,” and made “illegal gains”. Their biographies are stated to indicate that they are Tibetan.
The use of similar wordings for both the individuals are stated to indicate that there was a connection between the two. “The nature is serious and the impact is bad” and they “should be dealt with seriously,” the announcement was quoted as saying.
Investigations in their cases were stated to have begun in early 2024, with Jangchup (Jiang Chu), former executive vice governor of Dechen, being dismissed on May 19, and Qi Jianxin, former governor of Dechen, being dismissed on Apr 9.
Their “suspected criminal issues” were stated to have been sent to the procuratorate “for review and prosecution in accordance with the law.”
In 2024, several senior officials of Dechen were investigated by China’s anti-graft agency, the group said. And in January this year, Chinese state media announced that Che Dralha (Qi Zhala), a former governor of Dechen, was put under investigation, “suspected of serious violations of discipline and laws.” This came after he was posted to Lhasa in 2017, and promoted as the chairman of Tibet autonomous Region (TAR) government.
Among the at least 15 senior officials from Tibetan areas who faced corruption and related charges over the past more than two years mentioned by the Tibettime.net report is the case of Sherab Gyatso, deputy secretary of the Communist Party in the Kyegudo area of Yulshul Prefecture, Qinghai province, and the head of Nangchen (Nangqian) County, announced on Feb 12.
Other Tibetan names the report mentioned included the Feb 3, 2024 case of Yeshe Dorje, the deputy head of Tawu (Daofu) County Public Security Bureau in Kardze (Garze or Ganzi) Prefecture, Sichuan province, and the Nov 24, 2024 case of Tsering Gyurme, the director of the United Front Work Department of Chamdo City, TAR.