Focus Tibet

Authorities impede private earthquake aid by local people

Authorities in the city of Barkham, in Ngaba Prefecture in north-eastern Tibet, have banned monks and lay people from spontaneous relief efforts after an earthquake, although government aid only arrived on the ground 3 days later.

The region around Barkham was shaken on June 10 by a magnitude 6.0 earthquake. Above all, monks, but also the rest of the population, provided immediate help with food, clothing and tents for the approximately 25 people whose houses were uninhabitable. A Chinese rescue team only arrived there after 000 days. All local helpers were instructed to leave the site "for their own safety" as soon as they arrived.

All communication lines to the affected region are now blocked. The local population was forbidden from sending pictures of or reports about the destruction. Nothing is known about victims; According to official state media, only one person was injured by the quake.

Such behavior by the authorities is not new. After the devastating earthquake in April 2010 in the Yushu district of Qinghai province in northern Tibet, there were massive complaints from the local population about the obstruction of the rescue operations of monks, some of whom were digging for victims with their bare hands. The monks and Tibetan businessmen with donations were turned away. Shortly thereafter, state television camera crews arrived and filmed Chinese army personnel, who were unable to operate due to altitude sickness and the wintry weather. Because of communication problems, translators had to be summoned in a hurry. Rescue work has long focused on the homes of the Chinese elite.

The state propaganda agency at the time instructed the media: “Talk about the earthquake in 'scientific terms'; do not criticize the Earthquake Early Warning Institute; do not overemphasize the efforts of Buddhist monks in disaster relief; cover in detail the appeals for donations organized by the state broadcaster CCTV!” In addition, the Information Office of the State Council, which is responsible for monitoring the Internet, reminded the main websites that they cannot simply report what they like [cf. see Tibet Information of April 19, 23, 30 and May 4, 2010; AROUND].

Radio Free Asia, 15. June 2022 // dr. Uwe Meya

Photo: Radio Free Asia

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