New York [US], April 14 : Since 2021, China's government has escalated its crackdown on Tibetans, arresting dozens for politically motivated offenses related to phone and internet use, according to a report by Human Rights Watch (HRW).
The arrests often target Tibetans accused of storing "banned content" on their phones, contacting people abroad, or engaging in activities deemed politically sensitive by Chinese authorities.
In a report published on Sunday, the HRW said, "China's government has arrested dozens of people in Tibetan areas since 2021 for politically motived phone and internet-related offenses. Tibetan journalists in exile report that these arrests typically target Tibetans accused of keeping "banned content" on their phone or contacting people outside China, including relatives."
It further said that the full scale of such arrests and prosecutions is unknown, as Chinese authorities do not disclose official data for political offenses. More than 60 reported cases appear to be related to an increase in government surveillance during this period, including mass phone searches and the use of mandatory phone apps with built-in government surveillance, as well as a tightened regulatory regime on data and religion.
"For Tibetans, simply using a cellphone has become dangerous, and everyday activities like posting a humorous video or contacting loved ones abroad can bring arrest, detention, and torture," said Maya Wang, associate China director at Human Rights Watch.
"Tibetans, particularly those living in remote areas, once celebrated the arrival of cellphones so they could stay in touch with friends and family, but their phones have effectively become government tracking devices," Wang added.
Human Rights Watch reviewed relevant cases reported by Tibetan exile media, including Radio Free Asia and the Tibet Times, general media outlets, and official Chinese government sources, since 2021. It also interviewed residents of Tibetan areas and a retired official with direct knowledge of the situation.
The HRW reported that in many cases, those arrested were accused of keeping "banned content" on their phones or sharing it online. Such "banned content" typically includes references to Tibetan religious figures, particularly the exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, and expressions of pro-Tibetan sentiment.
Tibetans have also been arrested for posting content online that the police deem to be promoting the use of Tibetan language and opposing the Chinese government's language policy in primary schools, which replaces Tibetan with Mandarin Chinese as the medium of instruction.
Chinese authorities have also arrested Tibetans for using their electronic devices to contact people outside China and for sharing information about Tibet abroad. Those arrested have been prosecuted and received lengthy prison sentences for such activities. In 2021, HRW documented the arrest of four monks in southwest Tibet who were sentenced to up to 20 years in prison for contacting Tibetan monks of the same monastic order living in Nepal.
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