Earthquake-Stricken Tibetans Protest Land Grabs

In May, the Chinese regime’s State Council said they would rebuild homes of Tibetans affected by the Yushu earthquake, state-media Xinhua reported.

But for the past month, locals have been protesting. They say authorities are taking away their land as part of the reconstruction efforts.

Residents told Radio Free Asia they are being forced out of their homes, because officials want to rebuild schools, parks and government buildings on their land. The Tibetans say some of the properties officials took were not even damaged by the earthquake.

In return for their land, residents are offered homes that are 860 square feet. But that’s too small for most Tibetans who live with big families. And many don’t want to leave their land because their families have lived there for generations.

When the high-ranking Chinese official Xi Jinping visited the area on June 1st, hundreds of Tibetans protested. Officials dispatched police, stopping protestors from reaching Xi.

Since then, residents say dozens of people are petitioning every day, hoping to get their land back. Online news-service Boxun reported hundreds protested again on Sunday, forcing officials to agree to give them a response by Thursday. The area is reportedly under heavy military police surveillance.

According to official figures, the April 14 quake in Qinghai province killed nearly 3000 people. The Chinese regime has been publicizing its relief and reconstruction efforts in the predominantly Tibetan area. But locals have said they would rather slowly rebuild their homes than live in small apartments provided by the authorities.

Foto: NTDTV