Tibetan rights activists have raised concerns about transparency and demanded accountability from China following a devastating flood in Nepal that resulted in 1,127 deaths.
Dhondup Wangmo, a research fellow at the Environment and Development Desk of the Tibet Policy Institute, CTA, called for a free flow of information from China, alleging that the country provides limited data to downstream nations like India and Nepal.
Wangmo stated, "If China does not take accountability, then this kind of hazard could happen again in the area. There's a lack of transparency in this incident. We need a free flow of information because if you see that from the Chinese side, there's very limited information."
Lobsang Yangtso, a senior environmental researcher at the International Tibet Network, asserted that China should be held responsible for not sharing information freely, especially given the glacier risks in Tibet. She also noted that the Chinese government's construction of the world's largest hydropower dam serves as a warning to India, which shares a border with China.
Yangtso explained, "Transparency in terms of information has to be initiated by both sides. And it is the responsibility of both the Chinese government and the downstream countries. This issue should be made one of the top agendas, and China should be made accountable and asked to share information in terms of the glacier risk and also the water levels on the transboundary rivers that we see from Tibet. The most urgent issue that we see is on the Brahmaputra River, where the Chinese government is building the world's largest hydropower dam, and it flows in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam in India and then also in Bangladesh as well. With the disaster that we have witnessed in Nepal, this could also be a warning for India."
On Tuesday, the Tibetan community and environmental researchers held a press conference in Dharamshala to express their distress over the difficulties in obtaining verified information regarding the impact of the glacial avalanche that struck Kyirong, Tibet, and caused a flash flood in Nepal's Rasuwa district on August 26.
Tibet rights groups are urging China to grant international media unrestricted access to verify and report on the loss of life and damage in Kyirong, Tibet.
The International Tibet Network (ITN) and Students For A Free Tibet-India (SFT-India) have called on Beijing to refrain from punishing Tibetans who share information or attempt to contact family and friends about the flood's impact. They also emphasized that as climate-related dangers escalate, China must provide timely and accurate early warnings.
They requested that China share transboundary hydrological data immediately with downstream countries Nepal, India, and Bangladesh, and provide them with early warnings.
However, China has denied allegations of censoring flood videos and a lack of transparency.
Guo Jiakun, the spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, stated on Monday, "China's information disclosure is open and transparent, allowing timely understanding of the situation. Malicious smear campaigns and hype using the disaster situation do not align with popular sentiment."
