Authorities have taken land in eastern Tibet and detained 80 people.

Chinese authorities have taken land from Tibetans in Lithang County, eastern Tibet, near the beginning of this year, detaining around 80 people for around one week.

Lithang County

The authorities told Lithang residents, “We have paid thousands of yuan to people to surveil you day and night.”

The authorities eventually took the land and detained 80 people when they complained.

Chinese authorities have been taking land from Tibetans including nomads, farmers and other owners for mining projects, dam projects and ecological projects. In some cases Tibetans are not paid anything for the land leading to poverty.

An anonymous source said, “On the surface, Tibetans might seem happy under the CCP, in reality, Tibetans are suffocating without any freedom. There is no freedom at all and the restrictions from the Chinese authorities are more severe than ever before to the extent that Tibetans do not dare to talk amongst themselves freely. ”

This month, Free Tibet reported Chinese authorities arrested two Tibetans who tried to resist when authorities confiscated other land ownership documents in eastern Tibet.

In April this year Free Tibet also reported Tibetans could be forced off their land because of construction of the Xining Chengdu express railway project.