DHARAMSHALA, August 16: Thousands of Tibetans took part in a major protest against Chinese mining activities on Tuesday in Gedrong Zatoe County, Kham, Eastern Tibet.
According to Ngawang Tharpa, an exile Tibetan living in Dharamshala with a close contact in the region, over 4000 Tibetans protested against miners in Gedrong Zatoe County when hundreds of Chinese miners arrived for mining.
He said that over 100 Chinese miners arrived at the Aatoe township, 200 in Chiza and 150 in Zachen Township in Gedrong Zatoe County.
Tharpa said that diamonds are found in the region.
Earlier in May, over 4,500 Tibetans gathered near Naglha Zamba, a sacred rich-mineral hill in Driru region of eastern Tibet, to protest against its excessive Chinese mining.
In September 2011, China announced plans to spend 300 billion Yuan (US$46.89 billion) on 226 key projects ranging from railway, dam building, mining and promotion of tourism in Tibet within the next five years.
According to China’s official statistics, the Tibetan Plateau has largest chromium and copper reserves with most of its rich iron, gold, silver, potassium, oil, and natural gas reserves still unexploited.
Tibetans have long argued that China’s grand projects in Tibet are planned and implemented without consultation, consent and knowledge of the local Tibetans.
The exile Tibetan Administration maintains that Beijing, “under the guise of economic and social development, encourages the migration of Chinese population to Tibet, marginalizing the Tibetans in economic, educational, political and social spheres.”
