China must end its persecution of Tibetan human rights defender Tsering Tso

The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy strongly condemns the relentless persecution of Tibetan human rights defender Tsering Tso, who was arbitrarily arrested and subjected to a 10-day “administrative detention” by the local police in Yushu Prefecture.

Tsering Tso, a tour guide by profession, was detained for the fourth time in five years by the Chinese authorities for exposing Chinese authorities racial discrimination practices against two Tibetan monks on their way to pilgrimage in Drachen (Ch: Bachen) County, Nagchu (Ch: Naqu) Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). On the evening of 10 June, at approximately 5 pm local time, while escorting a group of monks on a pilgrimage tour to Lhasa and Tsari, local police in Gomri Township, Drachen County, interrupted their journey. The police stated that the monks needed to obtain prior permission from both the Monastery Management Committee and the local government for their travel. Later that night, the local police took the two monks, including Thutop Namgyal and another monk (name withheld for security reasons), into custody and subjected them to rigorous interrogation.

Upon learning of their arrest, Tsering Tso contacted the police, pointing out how Chinese tourists required no prior permission while Tibetan monks faced restrictions and mistreatment over permit requirements. She demanded the authorities for the immediate release of the two monks, asserting that their detention by Drachen County police was unlawful and in violation of China’s law and domestic policies. Initially, the Drachen County police denied detaining the monks but later admitted to taking them for “interrogation”, suggesting “cooperation” would expedite their release.

In a recorded conversation with the local police, Tsering Tso criticised the police’s misuse of powers for harassing Tibetan pilgrims, stating that such actions contravened Xi Jinping’s policies on ethnic unity.

Tsering can be heard saying, “As law-abiding citizens of China, Tibetans should have the same rights as Han Chinese. President Xi Jinping and the government always profess ethnic unity, but why am I facing this issue? What can I do now? Will you [the local police] not implement President Xi’s policies?” demanding an end to the Drachen County authorities’ abuse of power. The police responded with vague excuses, stating that different departments had different regulations. After three hours of urging the local authorities, the monks were eventually released around 3 am.

Tso later shared the entire recordings of the event on social media, exposing Drachen County police’s discriminatory practices and illegal detention of the two monks. ་Subsequently, upon her return to her hometown in Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, she was detained on 29 June on charges of “endangering social stability” and was later released on 8 July after ten days in administrative detention. This is the fourth time Tso has been detained for criticising the Chinese government’s discriminatory policies and advocating for equal and fair treatment of Tibetans inside Tibet.

In December last year, Drachen County police detained Tsering Tso for fifteen days, accusing her of refusing to cooperate with a traffic investigation and spreading false information online.

In October, Tsering Tso posted short videos on social media platforms, including WeChat and Douyin, exposing the Chinese government’s discriminatory practices against Tibetans. Her videos highlighted how officials from various departments were harassing Tibetan businesses in Tibet, attempting to force their closure by leaving business owners with no option but to comply.

As a result, the Yushu Public Security Bureau officers sentenced her to 15 days of administrative detention on charges of ‘picking quarrels and provoking troubles,’ an allegation frequently levied against human rights defenders, minority groups, critics, and dissenters to compel conformity with the official narrative and to stifle questioning and dissent by deterring criticism of government policies. Whether at the central or local level, the party-state exercises its authority to define and enforce these trumped-up charges, categorising any deviation from the official stance as a violation.

Similarly, on the evening of 12 November 2020, Tsering Tso was forcibly detained from her Xining home by ten officers and taken to the Trikha (Ch: Guide) County detention centre. She was subsequently subjected to a 10-day administrative detention from 13 to 23 November and imposed a monetary fine of Yuan 1000. In addition to surviving only on steamed buns and boiled water during her detention, she was subjected to ill-treatment and intimidation, which the detention officers employed to coerce her into abandoning her vocal advocacy for democracy and the rule of law.

In 2017, while advocating for the legal right of local Tibetans to apply for passports in Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Tsering Tso was detained and interrogated by the Public Security Bureau (PSB) of Yushu Prefecture. She was brutally assaulted by an officer named Jamga from the Immigration Administration Division of the Yushu PSB, who kicked her in the head, face, chest, and abdomen. Although doctors from both the provincial and prefectural PSBs concluded that she had not sustained significant injuries, despite contrary reports from her husband and friends about the severity of her condition, the authorities fabricated a narrative to deflect responsibility. They claimed that the attack was perpetrated by ordinary civilians under the influence of alcohol, thereby denying her access to justice.

Tsering Tso is a native of Trika (Ch: Guide) County in Tsolho (Ch: Hainan) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture but works and lives in Yushu City. She operates the Tibet World Tours and Travel, specialising in organising tours in various regions, including Lhasa City, Ngari, and other parts of Tibet, as well as destinations in other parts of the world.

Tsering Tso has consistently advocated for equal rights for Tibetans, including freedom of movement as guaranteed by the Chinese Constitution. Instead of addressing her concerns, the Chinese government has repeatedly abused its power by detaining, intimidating, and harassing her.

In its concluding observations following China’s periodic review in 2018, the UN Committee on Racial Discrimination called upon the Chinese government to revise its regulations and practices to ensure non-discriminatory determinations on passport applications and freedom of movement for Tibetans who wish to travel within the Tibet Autonomous Region and abroad. The contradictions between what is purportedly promised in the constitution against actual legal amendments and practices, especially in criminal procedures, reveal a legal system deliberately structured to navigate and manipulate domestic and international scrutiny, evading accountability for egregious human rights abuses.

Arbitrary arrests and detention are some of the pressing human rights issues that undermine the criminal justice system in China. Thousands are incarcerated outside the formal criminal process without access to legal rights and punished for up to 15 days in jail at mercy to police discretion. We call on the Chinese government to uphold the principles of equality and non-discrimination enshrined in its constitution, immediately abolish the discriminatory passport regulations, and allow Tibetans the right to movement and access pilgrimage sites in Tibet.