Tsongon Tsering, a 29-year-old Tibetan activist, is facing 16 months in prison for raising awareness about destructive mining practices. His family is under strict surveillance, and concerns grow for his well-being.
BY PC bureau
Chinese authorities have doubled the prison sentence of Tibetan environmental activist Tsongon Tsering, from Sichuan province, after he refused to admit to charges of “disrupting social order,” according to sources inside Tibet.
Tsering, 29, was initially sentenced to eight months in October for posting a video on WeChat exposing illegal sand and gravel mining along the Tsaruma River in Ngaba (Aba) prefecture. In the video, he highlighted the severe soil erosion and threats to residents’ homes caused by the mining.
Despite the initial eight-month sentence, the Kyungchu County People’s Court added another eight months in January, bringing his total prison term to 16 months. This extension followed Tsering’s refusal to recant his statements.
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Sources report that Tsering’s family is under strict surveillance, with his parents essentially under house arrest and his mother’s health deteriorating due to anxiety. Tensions are also high in the region, with increased restrictions on movement, particularly around the Atsoknb Tsenyi Gon Monastery.
Tenzin Dawa, director
Chinese authorities extended Tibetan activist Tsongon Tsering’s prison sentence by 8 months after he refused to plead guilty.
Jailed for exposing illegal mining, he is now held in Barkham County (Ch:Maerkang) with no family contact. #FreeTsongonTsering pic.twitter.com/9gQBkP0dge
— Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (@tchrd_) February 20, 2025
of the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, confirmed that Tsering has been moved to a prison in Barkham, the prefectural capital. The activist and his family have maintained that the government is causing significant environmental damage and rejected offers to shorten his sentence in exchange for admitting guilt.
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The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy also reported that Tsering’s family has been barred from participating in religious activities during the upcoming Tibetan New Year (Losar) and warned against speaking publicly about his case. The organization is calling for his immediate release and for China to respect the fundamental rights of Tibetans.
Tsering’s case echoes that of other Tibetan environmental activists, such as Anya Sengdra, who was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2019 for similar activism against illegal mining and corruption.
