Tibetan rights activists demand transparency from China in wake of Nepal flood

Dhondup Wangmo, a research fellow at the Environment and Development Desk of the Tibet Policy Institute, CTA, demanded a free flow of information from the Chinese side, which she alleged was providing limited information to the downstream countries, including India and Nepal.

Tibetan rights activists have flagged transparency concerns, demanding accountability from China following a devastating flood in Nepal, which led to 1,127 deaths. Dhondup Wangmo, a research fellow at the Environment and Development Desk of the Tibet Policy Institute, CTA, demanded a free flow of information from the Chinese side, which she alleged was providing limited information to the downstream countries, including India and Nepal.

Wangmo told ANI on Tuesday, "If China does not take accountability, then this kind of hazard could happen again in the area. There's a lack of transparency in this incident. We need a free flow of information because if you see that from the Chinese side, there's very limited information." Lobsang Yangtso, a senior environmental researcher of the International Tibet Network, said that China should be held accountable for not sharing information freely as a glacier risk lurks in Tibet. She added that the Chinese government's building of the world's largest hydropower dam is a warning for India, which shares a boundary with China.

Yangtso said, "Transparency in terms of information has to be initiated by both sides. And it is the responsibility of both the Chinese government and the downstream countries. This issue should be made one of the top agendas, and China should be made accountable and asked to share information in terms of the glacier risk and also the water levels on the transboundary rivers that we see from Tibet. The most urgent issue that we see is on the Brahmaputra River, where the Chinese government is building the world's largest hydropower dam, and it flows in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam in India and then also in Bangladesh as well. With the disaster that we have witnessed in Nepal, this could also be a warning for India." On Tuesday, the Tibetan community and environmental researchers held a press conference in Dharamshala and expressed anguish over the challenges in accessing verified information on the impact of the glacial avalanche that struck Kyirong, Tibet, and caused a flash flood in the Rasuwa district of Nepal on August 26.

Tibet rights groups call for China to allow international media unfettered access to verify and report on the loss of life and damage in Kyirong, Tibet. International Tibet Network (ITN) and Students For A Free Tibet-India (SFT-India) have demanded that Beijing not punish Tibetans who share information or attempt to contact family and friends about the impact of the flash floods. As climate cascading dangers intensify, China must also share timely and accurate early.

They asked for the transboundary hydrological data with immediate downstream countries, Nepal, India, and Bangladesh, and to provide early warning to them. However, China has rejected the allegations of censoring flood videos and a lack of transparency.

"China's information disclosure is open and transparent, allowing timely understanding of the situation. Malicious smear campaigns and hype using the disaster situation do not align with popular sentiment," Guo Jiakun, the spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said on Monday. (ANI)