24 February 2024: More than 1,000 Tibetans, including monks, have been arrested following protests against the building of a hydropower dam on the Drichu River [1] in Kham, Eastern Tibet [CH: ] Multiple non-violent protests have taken place with objection to the building of the Chinese dam, which will forcibly displace residents of two villages and submerging six monasteries.[2] Drichu River runs through more than ten Tibetan provinces.

The current status of those arrested is currently unknown.

Protests on this scale in occupied Tibet are rare due to the Chinese government’s extreme punishment.

TIMELINE:
14 February: At least 300 Tibetans protested at Dege County Hall calling for a halt to a proposed hydropower station construction and withdrawal of the order for relocation of Tibetans from the surrounding area.

20 February: Authorities inspected Yena and Wonto monasteries in preparation for their demolition, video footage [3] released by Radio Free Asia showed monks prostrating themselves before the visiting Chinese officials to plead with them to halt the construction of the dam.

22 February: Chinese authorities arrested over 100 Tibetan monks and other Tibetans.

23 February: Police arrested over 1000 Tibetans, including monks and residents. They are being held throughout the county as police do not have a single place to detain them.

This recent abruption and mass detention of Tibetans marks the continued resistance of Tibetans inside Tibet under Chinese rule.

FOOTNOTES:
1. Drichu River is commonly known as the Yangtse River.
2. Kamtok (TIB: སྐམ་ཐོག་, Chinese: Gangtuo) Hydropower Station, is the “leading” cascade hydropower station built on the upper reaches of the Drichu (TIB: འབྲི་ཆུ་, Jinsha Jiang) River, will completely submerge at least six monasteries and two villages in Derge (CHe: Dege) County, Kham. Among them, Wontoe (TIB: དབོན་སྟོད་, Chinese: Wangdui) and Yena (TIB: ཡེ་ན་, CH: Yunnan)
Source: https://savetibet.org/reports-china-arrests-over-100-after-tibetans-protest-dam/
3. Video Footage: Tibetan monks and residents arrested over China dam project | Radio Free Asia, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NIMgL38mBHc

Further Reading:
RFA: China arrests more than 1,000 Tibetans protesting Chinese dam project
ICT: Tibetans in Eastern Tibet Protest Hydropower Station and their relocation
ICT: Reports: China arrests over 100 after Tibetans protest dam – International Campaign for Tibet