Kathmandu. In the aftermath of the devastating floods in the Bhotekoshi, Tibetan rights activists and environmentalists have called on China to maintain transparency, release data on trans-border waters in a timely manner, and be accountable to prevent such disasters in the future.
At a press conference held in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh, India, on Tuesday, the International Tibet Network (ITN) and Students for a Free Tibet-India said that it is difficult to get reliable information about glacial lakes and avalanches in the Kyirong region of Tibet. They also demanded that China should give unfettered access to the international media in the affected areas. Dhondup Wangmo, a researcher at the Environment and Development Desk under the Tibet Policy Institute (CTA), accused China of not sharing enough information with downstream countries like Nepal and India.
If China does not take accountability, such disasters could happen in the future, she said, adding that information on the water level of cross-border rivers and glacial lake risk should be made available openly. Lobsang Yangtso, senior environmental researcher at the International Tibet Network, said that the world’s largest hydropower project being built by China on the Brahmaputra River flowing from Tibet could be a warning to India. He said that the disaster seen in Nepal has made the need for timely information sharing in cross-border river management more clear.
The rights groups have also urged Beijing not to punish Tibetans who share flood-related information or try to contact their relatives. They have also demanded that Nepal, India and Bangladesh be provided with data and early information on cross-border hydrology. China has denied that it censored flood-related videos and hid information. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiaqun said China’s information sharing system was open and transparent, and that the allegations based on the disaster were baseless. ANI
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