Punished for Posting "Thousands Swept Away"... China Faces Controversy Over Gag Order on Devastating Floods

China Announces "16 Dead, 546 Missing"
ICT Claims Actual Damage Is Much Greater
Punishments for Posting Disaster-Related Content

Claims have been raised that Chinese authorities are downplaying the actual scale of the damage in the Tibet Autonomous Region and controlling the dissemination of information, following the massive floods that struck the Nepal-China border area.

According to The Guardian on September 1 (local time), the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) stated, based on local sources, that the human and property losses in the Tibet region are far greater than the figures announced by Chinese authorities.

Buildings devastated by the massive flood in Bidur, Nepal, on the 29th (local time). Photo by Yonhap News Agency

Chinese authorities announced that, as of now, 16 people have died and 546 are missing due to this disaster. Of the missing, 261 are foreigners. However, ICT reported via its sources that the actual number of casualties is higher than these figures and that at least 300 homes have been destroyed.

Tencho Gyatso, president of ICT, told The Guardian, "The situation revealed in Nepal shows what is being hidden in Tibet." He added, "Four villages—Sale, Serchung, Labi, and Liji—were particularly hard hit, with about 300 homes reportedly destroyed. Many people are still unaccounted for." He further argued that even the limited information obtainable from the area suggests that the actual number of victims is likely much higher than the numbers announced by Chinese authorities.

On August 26, the collapse of a glacier triggered large-scale flooding in the border area between Nepal and Tibet. In Nepal, the death toll has surpassed 1,000 and more than 4,000 people are missing. In the affected region, known for mountain trekking and pilgrimage sites, the whereabouts of many foreign tourists—including those from India, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Canada—also remain unknown.

Human rights organizations pointed out that the amount of disaster information released in Nepal and China, which share the border, shows a stark contrast. Reports in China mostly focus on official announcements by state-run media, with hardly any unofficial information on the actual scale of the damage or recovery efforts being released.

In Tibet, coverage by foreign journalists is strictly limited, making it difficult to independently verify the scale of the damage. There is also the possibility that local residents could be punished for passing information to foreign media or human rights organizations.

President Gyatso stated, "With only the limited scenes officially released, it's impossible to know what is happening in all the affected areas."

Citing multiple sources, ICT reported that survivors have been relocated to Gyirong, about 30 kilometers from the border checkpoint that suffered the worst flood damage. It is reported that they are under strict government supervision and their communication with the outside world is heavily restricted.

There have also been cases of individuals being punished for sharing so-called "false disaster information" related to the flood. According to content released by the state-run Tibet Daily on the 27th of last month, two Tibetans were investigated on charges of posting "rumors" online stating that more than 1,000 people had been swept away by floods near the border.

On August 30, Tibet public security authorities also announced they had punished posters for spreading information causing misunderstanding about the disaster or "disrupting online order." One poster reportedly questioned the official death toll released by Chinese authorities, posting, "Obviously, thousands have been swept away, yet the authorities announced only three deaths and 265 missing," according to reports.

On the 1st (local time), members of the government joint rapid response team dispatched to search for nine Koreans missing due to large-scale flooding in Nepal attempted to approach the site, revealing a devastated scene around the wire dam area in Rasuwa, Nepal, covered with soil and debris. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

President Gyatso asserted, "The Chinese government is painting a picture as if the disaster happened only in Nepal and nothing has occurred across the border," adding, "China always claims that, regardless of the crisis, there is no crisis, and the Party is in complete control of everything."

Maya Wang, a representative from Human Rights Watch (HRW), pointed out that the Chinese government has a tendency to control information and focus on appearing as an efficient government. She also said questions are being raised regarding whether development in geologically and ecologically vulnerable valley areas played a role in the disaster.

In response, the Chinese government refuted these claims, stating that the release of information on the damage is being carried out transparently and promptly. Guo Jiaqun, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated on August 31 that "malicious slander and exaggerated reporting that exploit disasters do not reflect the sentiments of the people," in response to allegations that China has censored disaster footage and downplayed the missing person count. He also rebutted claims that China ignored scientific warnings about hydropower construction, saying, "We firmly oppose groundless and malicious speculation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.