Dharamshala — Five Tibetan non-governmental organisations organised a protest calling on the Chinese government to immediately release Tibetans arrested for protesting against illegal gold mining in the Kashi Village, Kham, Tibet, and to halt unauthorised mining activities that are damaging Tibet's fragile environment.
These NGOs also launched a one-day signature campaign to draw international attention to the destruction of the environment in Tibet and urge the international community to pressure the Chinese government to protect the region's vulnerable ecosystems. The Tibetan activists will also hold a candlelight vigil in the evening to express solidarity with their Tibetan brothers and sisters detained by Chinese authorities in Tibet.
The peaceful protest was organised by Tibetan Youth Congress, Tibetan Women's Association, Students for a Free Tibet-India, the National Democratic Party of Tibet and Gu Chu Sum Movement Association of Tibet at the main square of McLeod Ganj, Dharamshala on December 19, 2025. More than 20 Tibetan activists from NGOs took part in the demonstration, holding placards reading ‘Stop illegal mining in Tibet’.
Tenzing Pasang, National Director of Students for a Free Tibet-India said while reading out the statement by the five Tibetan NGOs in Dharamshala, "On November 5, 2025, the Chinese Communist Government launched a gold mining project in Kashi Village, Zachukha, Kham, Eastern Tibet, without the consent of the local Tibetan population. When Tibetans attempted to peacefully halt the project and submitted appeals to the local authorities. they were met with intimidation and outright dismissal. Local officials arrogantly responded, stating: "You have no right to interfere. The sovereignty of this land belongs entirely to the Chinese State."
"The authorities further accused the Tibetans of wrongdoing for opposing the mining project and subjected them to harassment and repression. On 6 November, at least 80 local Tibetans were arbitrarily arrested and imprisoned. while seven individuals have forcibly disappeared. creating a highly alarming and critical situation," She added.
Tenzin Lobsang, General Secretary of Tibetan Youth Congress said, "From the perspective of international human rights standards, the actions of the Chinese authorities constitute a grave violation of the right to self-determination. the right to environmental protection. and the right to peaceful protest and appeal. Instead of respecting these fundamental rights, Tibetans have been subjected to bullying. intimidation. arbitrary detention, torture, and other serious abuses. These actions represent a blatant disregard for the principles upheld by the United Nations human rights mechanisms and international environmental protection bodies."
Tsering Dolma, President of Tibetan Women's Association said, "Since the 1980s, the Chinese government has engaged in extensive extraction of precious minerals-including gold, silver, copper, and zinc—across Amdo, U-Tsang, and Kham. Due to strict state secrecy, surveillance, and repression, much of this environmental destruction has remained hidden from the international community. The recent exposure of gold mining activities in the Kashi region of Kham has brought renewed global attention to this crisis. However, it is highly likely that many other mining operations across Tibet remain undisclosed and unknown to both the Tibetan exile community and the international community."
"What is clear is that the systematic and severe destruction of the Tibetan Plateau's fragile natural environment is ongoing. threatening not only Tibetans but the ecological balance of the entire region. In response to this urgent situation. the five major Tibetan non-governmental organisations strongly condemn and oppose the Chinese government's exploitative and oppressive policies," the statement of the Tibetan NGOs said.
The five Tibetan NGOs urgently made the following five demands:
1. Immediately stop the destruction of the Tibetan Plateau's environment and ensure its protection.
2. Unconditionally release all Tibetans who have been arbitrarily arrested and imprisoned
3. Immediately account for the disappeared individuals and return them safely to their families.
4. Stop mining and mega development on Tibetan land carried out without informed consent of Tibetan people
5. The international community should pay attention to Tibet's fragile ecosystem and defend the fundamental rights of the Tibetan people.
"The situation in Kashi Village is critical and demands immediate international attention and action. Silence and inaction will only enable further environmental devastation and human rights violations in Tibet," the representatives of Tibetan NGOs said.
