Chinese authorities have detained 48-year-old Tibetan monk Zega Gyatso of Tsang Monastery in Amdo, eastern Tibet, on unsubstantiated charges of “sending money abroad,” according to Tibet Times. Nearly two months since his arrest on July 2 in Xining, his whereabouts and condition remain unknown, a familiar and chilling tactic in Beijing’s tightening grip over Tibet.
Gyatso, who had travelled to the city seeking medical treatment, was instead met by security forces. He has been denied all contact with his family and acquaintances since his detention. Officials reportedly claim he transferred money to India, but those close to him reject the allegation outright, calling it a political pretext to target him.
This is not an isolated incident. Gyatso and his family have lived under surveillance and harassment for over a decade, ever since his younger brother Khedrub Gyatso was arrested in 2008. Their home has been subjected to midnight raids, repeated interrogations about “foreign connections,” and veiled threats from Chinese security officers.
Targeted Because of Faith and Identity
Born in 1976 to Sonam Wangdu and Tashi, Zega Gyatso is the eldest of six siblings. He briefly studied at Sera Je Monastery in South India after travelling to India in 2002, before returning to Tibet in 2003. He went on to continue his studies at Ragya School and later became a respected teacher of Tibetan language and the traditional five sciences at Tsang Monastery’s Leksheling School. His arrest removes not only a spiritual teacher from his community, but also another voice working to preserve Tibetan culture under hostile conditions.
CCP’s Insecurity Laid Bare
The timing of his arrest (days before global celebrations of His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday) is no coincidence. Around the world, Tibetans and supporters honored the spiritual leader with open joy, a testament to his enduring moral authority despite decades of Chinese propaganda. In contrast, Beijing responded with paranoia: mass inspections at monasteries, photo confiscations, expulsions of young monks, and arbitrary detentions like that of Gyatso.
The CCP cannot tolerate what it cannot control. The Dalai Lama’s birthday exposed Beijing’s deepest insecurity that no amount of censorship, “patriotic education,” or police-state intimidation can erase the Tibetan people’s devotion to their leader. Every global celebration is a quiet humiliation for the Party.
A Pattern of Silence and Fear
Disappearing monks into the shadow of “legal process” is Beijing’s standard playbook. In Tibet, allegations of “sending money abroad” or “maintaining separatist ties” are routinely deployed as pretexts for silencing religious figures. In reality, what China fears most is not foreign funds but the persistence of Tibetan faith, identity, and loyalty to the Dalai Lama.
Zega Gyatso’s disappearance is more than an individual injustice, it is part of Beijing’s larger attempt to suffocate Tibetan religion, language, and culture. Yet, as the worldwide celebrations of the Dalai Lama’s 90th birthday have shown, Tibetan spirit continues to shine beyond Beijing’s reach.
