On January 17, 2025, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) arrested Yuanqing Deng, a Chinese software engineer, along with two Filipino associates, Ronel Jojo Besa and Jayson Amado Fernandez. The trio was allegedly conducting unauthorized surveillance across Metro Manila and the greater Luzon area. The operation included the collection of detailed images of terrains and structures without government authorization, raising red flags about potential threats to national security.
In a chilling display of repression, Chinese authorities in Ponkor Village, Golog, have arrested over twenty Tibetans, including renowned Tibetan language activist Khenpo Tenpa Dhargye. Among those detained, Gonpo Namgyal, a respected village leader, died after suffering brutal torture involving beatings and electrocution. His death has sparked outrage and deep concern for the safety of the other detainees.
Recent reports highlight a significant escalation in China's control over Larung Gar Buddhist Academy, the world’s largest Tibetan Buddhist study center located in Serthar County, within Tibet’s traditional Kham province, now part of Sichuan Province. Around 400 military personnel and helicopter surveillance were deployed on December 20, 2024, signaling heightened state control over this iconic site.
China’s military ambitions in 2024 reveal a clear and alarming trajectory towards global dominance, with its expanding military capabilities, opaque budget practices, and aggressive regional posturing posing significant threats to international stability. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) continues to prioritize becoming a "world-class military" by 2049, but the means by which Beijing seeks to achieve this reveal a calculated disregard for international norms and a growing tendency towards coercion.
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?”
