Five injured as villagers renew mine protests in Markham

Dharamsala, May 15: At least five protesters, including two women, were injured as thousands of Tibetan villagers in Markham County in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) have renewed protests against mining operations on mountains they consider sacred, despite strong presence by armed Chinese police, RFA has reported, citing sources in the region.

Environmental damage caused by years of mining near Lhasa. (Undated Photo: Woeser/RFA)Markham (Ch: Mangkang), traditionally part of Kham Province in eastern Tibet, was the site of vehement protests last year against mining on a mountain called Ser Ngul Lo.
Protesters this time have targeted three mines located at Tsongshen, Choeten, and Deshoe in Markham, the report said.
“Tibetans have set aside their farming to defend the sacred mountains from exploitation,” a source said, asking not to be named.

Five protesters—two women and three men—were reportedly injured in the protests and one attempted to kill himself with a broken bottle, the source said. The others were beaten and tear-gassed by police, he added.
“With more troops being called in, it will be difficult to prevent the mining,” the man said, adding “Right now there are about five thousand troops in Tsongshen, and more reinforcements are expected.”

“Since May 8, China has imposed a virtual blackout in Tsongshen in Markham,” another source said, also also asking not to be named.

“Work teams from [the Tibetan regional capital] Lhasa and officials from Chamdo and Markham have arrived at the site to facilitate the mining, and officials have searched Tibetan homes.”
Another local Tibetan source, who also spoke on condition of anonymity, said large crowds have tried to stop the mining.
“Thousands of local Tibetans—young, old, men, and women alike—have attempted to block the Chinese from resuming mining activities,” the source said.

“But TAR Party Secretary Zhang Qingli has given orders to ahead with the mining, even if this means using force against protesters,” the source added.
A Markham police official, reached for comment by RFA, said: “It is not a big issue. Everything is OK. Who are you?” He then hung up the phone.
It is difficult to independently confirm the movements of People’s Armed Police or other armed Chinese security forces in the area.

In 2009, Tibetan residents complained and protested after authorities gave a Chinese mining and lumbering firm, Zhongkai Co., permission to excavate the area.

Talks ultimately resolved the standoff after both sides agreed that the mine would cease operations, but questions remained regarding the disposal of poisonous waste at the site, sources in the region said.

Tibetans have historically worshipped at the site known as Ser Ngul Lo [“Year of Gold and Silver” in Tibetan], conducting rituals there in the event of drought, residents say.

Detentions reported

At least 13 Tibetans were reportedly detained on the same day when the TAR ordered the mining company to resume its activities in the three major sites in Markham.

On May 4, four Tibetan businessmen and a monk from Markham were detained in the Tibetan capital Lhasa and eight others who went to petition in the Sichuan provincial capital Chengdu were also detained, a source told RFA.
"This happened on the same day when the TAR ordered the mining company to resume its activities in the three major sites in Markham," he said.
"All of those detained were Tibetan businessmen and leading figures who successfully blocked the Chinese mining company in 2009," he added.