Tibet Campaigners Accuse China of Concealing Extent of Flood Disaster
Tibetan rights defenders stated that China is concealing the true extent of the deadly flood disaster on the Nepal-Tibet border, and that the number of missing and dead is much higher than official figures.
Tibetan activists claimed that following the deadly flood disaster on the Nepal-Tibet border, which destroyed hundreds of houses, Beijing's official data regarding casualties does not reflect the truth and the situation is being covered up.
Background of the Disaster and Casualties
On August 26, deadly floods occurred along the Nepal-Tibet border as a result of a glacier collapse. Statements made by Chinese authorities reported that 16 people lost their lives and 546 people, including foreign nationals, were missing.
Campaigners' Claims and Secrecy
The International Campaign for Tibet stated, based on its own sources, that the death toll and amount of damage are far above official figures. Security officials in Tibet announced on Sunday that at least 10 people found to have shared false information about the disaster were penalized. Tencho Gyatso, the president of the organization, stated that the picture on the Nepali side reveals the truths hidden on the Tibetan side, emphasizing that the villages of Sale, Serchung, Labi, and Rizi were among the hardest-hit settlements.
Official Responses
While the death toll on the Nepali side exceeded 900, the number of missing persons rose above 4,000. Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun defended that information sharing regarding the flood disaster was transparent and timely, describing the accusations leveled against them as a malicious smear campaign.