Tibetans in-exile demand China to release protesters held for rallying against Zachukha mining

Mass arrests of Tibetans have been reported following the protest against gold mining in Kashi, Kham Zachukha, in Tibet on November 5, 2025. There is a communications blackout as well.

Tensions have escalated sharply in Kashi village, Sershul County (Dzachukha), after local Tibetans reportedly discovered a gold-mining operation at a site known as Serkhok (Gold Valley) in the afternoon (2:11pm) November 5.

The Tibetans in-exile have expressed thier concern and solidarity with the Tibetan people living inside Tibet. Tibetan activists demand China to release all Tibetans who were arrested after the protest.

A researcher in Tibet Watch, an organisation which monitor and report the human Rights abuse in Tibet, Sonam Topgyal told ANI, "this is not happening for the first time, there is lot of mining, the media is barred, people are forced not to leak out the information. But some Tibetan people sent this news by putting their lives in risk. China wants to suppress people who ask for legitimacy. Tibetan people consider it a holy soil. And we want to ask the international community to pressurise China, not to suppress Tibetan people and save the environment. Things are restricted and we don't have much information. It's not a free country. Things are barred, people are being monitored. There are so many surveillance cameras even in the tents. They don't want any information to be leaked out and get the international attention. Now since some information has already leaked so they will be stricter now, and there will be more repression in Tibet."

Tenzin Lobsang, general secretary of Tibetan Youth Congress, told ANI, "this is very concerning because they are doing it in the name of green energy, in the name of environment or many other good terms but they are destroying the whole environment of Tibet. There are so many injured people many are in hospital and seven people are still missing. We demand China to release those seven persons and then we demand China to give medical aid to the injured person and we urge international community and human rights advocates to raise and support the issue. We urge every individual to raise voice against China as they are destroying the Himalayan belt."

The deputy director of Tibet Policy Institute, Tempa Gyaltsen Zamlha told ANI, "There has been mining protest in Tibet in the place called Zachukha. On fifth of November 2025, there has been a protest against gold mine in eastern Tibet. And on the next day, on sixth of November, the Chinese authorities arrested more than 80 people and as on first of December many were released but 18 Tibetans were missing and their whereabouts were unknown. Until today 7 Tibetans are still went missing. Their whereabouts are not known."

Zamlha said that those who were released faced torture.

"Many of them who were released were tortured. Some of them have serious problems like kidney damage and broken ribs. And some of them were released after signing a false confession letter... the repression has increased," he said.

Zamlha appealed the international community to question China against the atrocities.

"Chinese police is reportedly visiting each house of that region and searching and interrogating, how the news went outside? So the situation has got worse and there is a possibility that more Tibetans will be arrested and tortured and there could be further repression in the region. We appeal to the international community to pressure China to respect international law and human rights. All the arrested persons should be released immediately, and they should stop the mining work and the mining company and Chinese government officials should be held accountable," he said. (ANI)