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A bombshell report released today by the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) uncovers the shocking extent of China’s destructive hydropower agenda in Tibet. Titled Chinese Hydropower: Damning Tibet’s Culture, Community, and Environment, the report paints a grim picture of irreparable damage to Tibet’s civilization, environment, and the livelihoods of millions across Asia. Through advanced Geographic Imaging Software (GIS) analysis and meticulous regional research, ICT reveals how Beijing’s unbridled hydropower expansion threatens not just Tibet but the very survival of 1.8 billion people downstream.

High in the remote stretches of the Tibetan Plateau, China has made its presence felt in bold fashion, carving a colossal 600-foot-long message into the landscape. Inscribed in characters large enough to be read from space, the message reads, “Long live the Chinese Communist Party.” It is not just a symbol, but part of an extensive network of security fortifications along China’s border with Nepal, raising questions about Beijing’s growing influence over its southern neighbor.

Hundreds of Tibetans were beaten and detained in February during rare protests against China’s planned Gangtuo dam on the Jinsha River, according to sources and footage verified by the BBC. The protests underscore growing tensions over Beijing’s controversial hydropower projects in Tibetan territories. “Our ancestors were here, our temples are here,” said one Tibetan protester. “It is very painful to move. What kind of life would we have if we leave?”

In a devastating blow to Tibetan culture and religious heritage, a historic Buddhist monastery Atsok Gon Dechen Choekhorling Monastery in Dragkar county, Tsolho has been demolished to make way for a Chinese hydropower project. The destruction of this sacred site has sparked outrage among Tibetans and human rights advocates, who view it as another example of Beijing's aggressive policies toward Tibetan identity and autonomy.

The United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) has once again designated China as a “Country of Particular Concern” (CPC) in its newly released 2025 Annual Report, citing extensive and ongoing violations of religious freedom. The report highlights a wide range of abuses, including Beijing’s attempts to control the succession of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the broader repression of Tibetan Buddhists and other religious communities.

In a rare act of defiance, a protest banner was displayed in Xinhua County, Hunan province, calling for democracy and the end of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s rule. The banner, hung from a pedestrian footbridge, bore slogans advocating for democratic elections and the ousting of Xi, reminiscent of the 2022 ‘Bridge Man’ protest in Beijing.

Paris became the center of a heated debate over historical representation this weekend as around 800 Tibetan activists and supporters rallied in front of...

In an interview on Wednesday,the leader of the Tibetan Community in-exile and the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) Sikyong Penpa Tsering addressed critical issues in ongoing negotiations with China, focusing on the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama and the state of Tibetan education.

Gyalo Thondup, the elder brother of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama and a pivotal figure in Tibetan politics, passed away peacefully at his home in Kalimpong on Saturday at the age of 97. His passing marks the end of an era for Tibetans in exile, as he was one of the last surviving figures from the early years of the Tibetan struggle against Chinese occupation.

On June 16, 2025, Chinese authorities sentenced Sherab, the abbot of Yena Monastery, to four years in prison. Gonpo, the monastery’s chief administrator, received a three-year sentence. Both men were charged for leading peaceful protests against the construction of the massive Gangtuo hydropower dam project a part of China’s 13-dam cascade planned for the upper reaches of the Drichu.