200 Detained in Lhasa Over Covid Protest

Around 200 residents of Tibet’s capital Lhasa were detained in the wake of massive protests in the city last week against COVID lockdowns that left many restricted to their homes without adequate food or medical care. “Though many of these detainees are of Chinese origin, there are also a number of Tibetans coming from other parts of Tibet and from Chengdu (capital city of western China’s Sichuan province),” a source told Radio Free Asia. “They are currently being held inside buildings owned by development companies inside the Tibet Autonomous Region,” or TAR, the source added. Also speaking to RFA, a second person said that it has been difficult so far for outside sources to identify the Tibetans currently being held. “But the main allegations against them appear to be that they took a lead role in organizing the protests. Most of them appear to be working-class residents of the city.” Most of the Han Chinese detained in the protest were later freed but there is no evidence that Tibetan detainees have been released, he added.