On August 17th, Chinese police opened fire on a group of Tibetans protesting the expansion of a Chinese-owned gold mining operation on their land. Sources have reported that four Tibetans were shot dead and thirty more injured in the violent attack.
The group had been picketing the county government office in Palyul County, Kardze Prefecture in eastern Tibet (Ch: Baiyu Country, Ganzi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province) to protest the mine, which is destroying traditional farmland and completely devastating the local environment. (photos of area)
Chinese police reportedly used 'incapacitating gas' to try and disburse the Tibetans, but when the group resisted, police opened fire.
Students for a Free Tibet asked me to sign a letter in protest to Sichuan Party Secretary Liu Qiabao and the Kardze (Ch: Ganzi) Prefecture Government. I eagerly signed the letter and I would like to encourage you to sign the letter too.
Here is the letter:
Liu Qiabao
Sichuan Party Secretary
and
Government of Ganzi Prefecture at Kardze
I am outraged to hear that Chinese police opened fire on an unarmed group of Tibetans, reportedly killing four, injuring dozens, and detaining many more in Palyul County, Kardze Prefecture in eastern Tibet (Ch: Baiyu County, Ganzi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province). The group was petitioning the local government to stop the Chinese-owned Kartin Company from expanding its destructive gold mining operations on their land.
I join people worldwide in condemning the killing of innocent Tibetans who were simply trying to preserve Tibet's fragile environment. In the eyes of the international community, this brutal crime is yet another example of the atrocities the Chinese government routinely commits against the Tibetan people. Until Tibetans can freely determine the use of their own land and resources, they will continue to suffer systematic violations of their basic human rights at the hands of the Chinese authorities.
I call on your government to immediately condemn this attack and bring those responsible to justice. Until the legitimate concerns of local Tibetans have been addressed, Kartin Company must immediately cease mining operations in the area. I further call on you to release all Tibetans detained in this incident and to ensure that they receive immediate medical attention if needed. I will continue to closely monitor the situation in Palyul County.
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Go here to sign the letter.
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