Buddhist monks among 100 held in China’s Sichuan province over dam protests

BEIJING: Chinese security officials have arrested more than 100 Tibetan Buddhist monks and local people in the southwestern Sichuan province to quell protests against the construction of a massive dam that would submerge six Buddhist monasteries and force the relocation of two villages, a media report said.

In a rare act of defiance, residents have taken to the streets of Wangbuding township of Dege County in the Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture since February 14 to oppose the plan to build the 2,240-megawatt Gangtuo hydropower station on the Drichu River (Jinsha in Chinese).

The dam is located on the upper reaches of the Yangtze River, one of China’s most important waterways, Radio Free Asia reported on Thursday.

The protests started on February 14, when at least 300 Tibetans gathered outside the Dege county town hall to oppose the dam’s construction, defying strict controls on public gatherings and extensive surveillance by authorities in Sichuan and Tibet regions.

The detentions reportedly occurred in the Kardze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan, an area with a large population of ethnic Tibetans.

Some of the arrested protesters required hospitalisation due to rough treatment, the report said.

Police used water cannons, pepper spray and tasers to subdue the protesters.

Videos of protests showed monks prostrating before the officials, pleading with them not to resort to demolition when they inspected Yena and Wonto monasteries in preparation for their destruction.

The USD 4.6 billion Yebatan hydropower station, the largest hydropower project in the upper reaches of the Jinsha River, exceeded 100 metres in December last year, achieving a major milestone, state-run Global Times reported earlier.

The total installed capacity of the power station is expected to reach 2,240 megawatts after completion, with a maximum dam height of 217 metres. It is the tallest hyperbolic arch dam project under construction in China, according to the report.

The protesting locals were particularly distraught over the construction of the hydroelectric dam, as it would destroy six monasteries, including the Wonto Monastery, which includes ancient murals that date to the 13th century, the RFA report said.

Videos by citizens on the protests show Chinese officials dressed in black forcibly restraining monks, who can be heard protesting against the dam.

The construction of the Gangtuo hydropower dam will force the resettlement of the Upper Wonto and Shipa villages, the Yena, Wonto and Khardho monasteries in Dege county, and the Rabten, Gonsar and Tashi monasteries in Chamdo township, the RFA report said.

The Wonto and Yena monasteries, located closest to the site of the planned project, together have about 300 monks and hold significant cultural and religious importance to locals.

The Wonto Monastery was severely damaged during China’s Cultural Revolution. However, locals preserved its ancient murals and began rebuilding the monastery in 1983.

The number of monks who live and worship at the four other monasteries slated for destruction is not known, the report said.

About 2,000 people live in the two villages and would be forced to relocate due to the dam project.

When asked about the protests at a media briefing here on Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning declined to comment on the report, saying she was not aware of the incident and it was not a diplomatic question.

Perched in the Himalayas, Tibet, also known as the Roof of the World, is the origin of some of the biggest rivers in the world, including the Brahmaputra, Indus, Sutlej, Yangtse, Mekong, and Yellow River.

In recent years, China has stepped up efforts to build massive hydropower projects in the Tibet Autonomous Region. It is also building the world’s biggest hydroelectric dam over the Brahmaputra river in Tibet, close to the Arunachal Pradesh border.

The dam, which one Chinese official said has "no parallel in history”, is being built in Medog county of Tibet, where the Brahmaputra Grand Canyon is located. Medog is the last county in Tibet.

India and Bangladesh, the lower riparian states, have raised concerns over the dams on the Brahmaputra known in Tibet as Yarlung Tsangpo.