Chinese authorities in Darlag County, Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province, arbitrarily arrested and detained eight Tibetans from Gyusum (Gyume) Township on fabricated charges including “abuse of religious belief to exploit people” and “committing financial fraud for personal gain.” The eight men Gonnam (མགོན་རྣམ།), Gontse (མགོན་ཚེ།), Jigme Tenzin (འཇིགས་མེད་བསྟན་འཛིན།), Palden (དཔལ་ལྡན།), Lochoe (བློ་ཆོས།), Namgayl (རྣམ་རྒྱལ།), Nordue (ནོར་སྡེས།) and Kalsang (སྐལ་བཟང་།) were accused of collecting donations for religious offerings, a traditional and peaceful religious activity criminalized by Beijing’s policies in the region. Additionally, Tibet’s imprisoned tycoon Dorje Tashi suffered brutal assaults in Drapchi Prison, exemplifying China’s systemic abuse of Tibetan political prisoners and the ruthless suppression of dissent.
This crackdown is part of intensified religious repression in the region, especially following 2022 regulations that criminalize online activities related to religion unless state-approved. Even minor religious acts such as accumulating Mani prayer beads in WeChat groups are strictly prohibited. The Chinese government has additionally closed seven Tibetan private schools in Golog, including the Sangduk Taktse boarding school in Darlag County and other schools in Machen, Gade, and Chigdul counties. These closures destroy vital channels for Tibetan language education and cultural preservation, further assimilating Tibetans into the state’s control and curtailing Tibetan cultural identity.
The real whereabouts and health conditions of the detained Tibetans remain unknown, fueling concerns from Tibetan communities and international observers about their wellbeing. This incident fits into a broader pattern of China’s “stability maintenance” policies in Tibetan areas, whereby peaceful religious and cultural activities are branded as crimes threatening state security. Human Rights Watch and other organizations have extensively documented the detention and prosecution of Tibetans for peaceful expression, with many subjected to arbitrary arrests, unfair trials, and harsh sentences
This deliberate persecution, under the guise of combating “financial fraud” and “criminal organizations,” is a transparent attempt to marginalize Tibetan Buddhism and suppress the religious freedoms of Tibetans. The Chinese regime’s policy systematically undermines Tibetan society by attacking its spiritual lifeblood and educational structures. The international community must urgently demand the immediate release of these eight detainees, full transparency about their status, and an end to the repressive policies targeting Tibetan religion and culture.
According to the Tibet Watch, On 20 October 2023, police in Darlag County, Golog Prefecture, arbitrarily detained eight Tibetans from Gyusum Township. They were charged with “creating criminal organization,” “picking quarrel and provoking trouble,” and “extortion and blackmail.” The arrests relate to the collection of donations for religious offerings; activities framed as criminal by authorities amid intensified religious repression. The detainees’ current whereabouts and wellbeing remain unknown, while public notices offer rewards for information on them, fostering fear and self-censorship in local Tibetan communities.
According to the Tribune On 26 Nov 2025, China’s repression in Tibet intensified with the brutal assault on imprisoned Tibetan tycoon Dorje Tashi in Lhasa’s Drapchi Prison. Attacked twice by inmates, most recently by three men causing serious head injuries, Tashi’s family was not informed, violating prison regulations. Sentenced to life on trumped-up charges, his persecution reflects China’s systemic abuse of Tibetan political prisoners, including torture and isolation. His sister Gonpo Kyi, a vocal advocate, faces repeated beatings and detentions, underscoring the regime’s ruthless crackdown on dissent.
China’s systematic repression in Tibet continues unabated, evident in the arbitrary detention of eight Tibetans from Darlag County on fabricated charges related to peaceful religious donations. This crackdown, combined with the brutal assaults on political prisoners like tycoon Dorje Tashi and the forced closure of Tibetan schools, underscores Beijing’s relentless assault on Tibetan religious freedom, culture, and political dissent. Such actions demand urgent international condemnation and call for transparency and the release of detained Tibetans to uphold human rights.
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