In early November 2025, Chinese authorities carried out mass detentions in a Tibetan village in eastern Tibet after residents protested a mining project on their land. Around 80 Tibetans were detained, and seven people remain missing, with families still unable to obtain any information about their whereabouts.
The incident took place in Kashi village in Sershul County, part of the Kardze) Tibetan region. Villagers discovered that a gold-mining operation had begun near their traditional grazing lands and close to the Kham River, a vital water source for local pastoral communities. Residents feared irreversible environmental damage, loss of pasture, and contamination of water used for livestock and daily life.
What followed was a peaceful confrontation with local officials and mining representatives. Villagers demanded that the project be halted and that they be consulted before any extraction took place. There were no reports of weapons or violence from the protesters.
The response came swiftly. On the evening of 6 November, security forces began door-to-door raids, detaining residents one by one. Phones were confiscated, homes searched, and people taken away without formal arrest notices. By the next day, dozens had disappeared into detention facilities.
According to information relayed from inside Tibet, several detainees were beaten during arrest and interrogation, with reports of serious injuries. Families say they have received no legal documentation, no confirmation of charges, and no access to lawyers. Seven individuals have not been seen or heard from since, raising serious concerns about enforced disappearance.
Authorities then imposed a communications blackout in the area. Internet access was restricted, phone activity closely monitored, and villagers warned not to speak to outsiders. This made independent verification difficult and left families isolated and fearful.
The situation became publicly known internationally on 10 December 2025, Human Rights Day, when an emergency press communication was circulated through international media and human-rights networks. The statement warned that some detainees were still being mistreated in custody and called attention to the unresolved disappearance of seven Tibetans.
This incident fits a broader pattern seen across Tibetan regions, where environmental protests are treated as political threats. Mining and infrastructure projects are often approved without meaningful local consent, and resistance-especially when organized collectively is met with surveillance, detention, and intimidation.
For Tibetan communities, land and water are not abstract resources. They are the foundation of livelihood, culture, and religious life. Protesting mining is not separatism or extremism; it is an attempt to survive.
As of now, Chinese authorities have issued no public explanation, no list of detainees, and no information on the missing. Families continue to wait in silence, while the mining project remains unresolved.
What happened in Kashi village is not only about one protest. It is about how environmental protection, basic rights, and accountability are increasingly criminalized in Tibet-and how easily people can disappear for defending their land.
