UN Experts Urge China to Clarify Detention of Tibetan Environmental Activist Tsongon Tsering

Three United Nations Special Rapporteurs have expressed grave concern over the recent detention of Tibetan environmental activist Tsongon Tsering in Ngaba (Chinese: Aba), Sichuan province. In a joint statement, Mary Lawlor (Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Defenders), Astrid Puentes Rian (Special Rapporteur on Environmental Defenders), and Irene Khan (Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression) called on the Chinese government to provide transparency regarding the activist’s detention and to respect his fundamental rights.

According to the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), Tsongon Tsering, a 29-year-old resident of Tsaruma Village in Ngaba, was summoned and later detained after leading online campaigns promoting environmental protection and participating in local cleanup efforts. He had publicly opposed the environmentally destructive sand extraction activities carried out by Anhui Xianhe Construction Engineering Company Ltd, which has reportedly caused severe ecological damage in the region.

Following his protest, Tsongon was convicted by the Kyungchu County People’s Court and sentenced to eight months in prison on charges of “disrupting social order.” His current whereabouts remain unknown, and his social media accounts have been erased—raising concerns about forced disappearance and digital erasure.

In their communiqué, the UN Special Rapporteurs urged Chinese authorities to disclose full details of the charges, ensure Tsongon’s access to legal counsel and family contact, and uphold international standards of due process. The Chinese government has been formally asked to respond within 60 days before the UN makes the communication public.

The Tibet Bureau in Geneva welcomed the UN intervention and condemned the detention as a blatant example of China’s ongoing repression of Tibetan human rights defenders. “Tsongon Tsering’s imprisonment illustrates the growing risks faced by Tibetans who speak out—particularly on environmental issues that affect their communities and cultural heritage,” the Bureau stated.

It further called for Tsongon’s immediate release and urged China to abide by its international human rights commitments. The Bureau emphasized that activism in defense of the environment should not be criminalized and demanded an end to the silencing of Tibetan voices advocating for ecological protection and civil liberties.

This latest case adds to a growing list of incidents where Tibetan environmental and civil society activists have been subjected to surveillance, harassment, arbitrary detention, and imprisonment under vague legal pretexts. Human rights organizations continue to raise alarm over the shrinking space for peaceful activism in Tibet, particularly under intensified control by Chinese authorities.