Tibetan man disappeared amid heavy surveillance in Sog County

Arbitrary arrests and detention have increased amid unusual intensification of state surveillance measures in Nagchu (Ch: Naqu) Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR).

A Tibetan man has been detained and disappeared in Sog (Ch: Suo) County, which neighbours the restive Diru (Ch: Biru) County in Nagchu Prefecture.

Information received by TCHRD confirms that Thupten Gyaltsen aka Thupgyal, 27, was detained by local Public Security Bureau officers on the night of 11 November 2013 from his home at Village No. 5 in Gyalchen (Ch: Jiaqin) Township in Sog County.

For the past few months, unrest has increased in many areas in Nagchu Prefecture due to the repressive nature of Chinese policies particularly the “mass line” campaign which has made Tibetans vulnerable to mass surveillance and propaganda campaigns. In particular, conditions in Diru County has deteriorated a great deal leading to the alarming rise in the number of arbitrary arrests and disappearances. 

In early October 2013, local authorities in Lhasa issued a notification that requires all “convenience police station” officers to surveil Nagchu Tibetans visiting Lhasa city. The notication directed the police officers to put extra surveillance on Tibetans belonging to three counties: Diru, Drachen (Ch: Baqin)  and Sog.

Thupgyal was an ordinary businessman. There is no confirmed information on the charges filed against him although some local Tibetans believe that he might have been arrested on charges of “maintaining contacts with exiled separatists”, a source told TCHRD. His whereabouts remain unknown.

Thupgyal is the son of Tenpai Gyaltsen and Thupten Choezin.