International Criticism Arises Over China's 'Terror Tactic' on Global Victims of Forced Disappearances Day
The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) has released a video to mark the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, drawing attention to the grave violation of human rights in Tibet. The video emphasises that enforced disappearances are a serious crime under international law and a grave violation of international human rights law.
The CTA has condemned China's use of enforced disappearances in Tibet, which has resulted in Tibetans vanishing without a trace, burying entire families and communities in silence. The practice is said to devastate families and entire communities, spreading fear and silencing dissent.
One of the recent cases highlighted in the video is that of Tibetan singer Asang (Tsukte) and fellow performer Palchung, who were arrested in July 2025 for performing a song in praise of the Dalai Lama. The current whereabouts of Asang and Palchung are unknown.
Another case documented is that of Kunchok Choedak, who was arrested in December 2024 and has been in custody for more than eight months, with no information provided about his condition or whereabouts. The CTA did not provide any new information about Kunchok Choedak in the video.
The video also states that enforced disappearances contradict China's own constitution, which guarantees the right to liberty and the prohibition of arbitrary detention. Chinese authorities are accused of detaining Tibetans in secrecy, subjecting them to inhuman torture in these secret detentions.
The video documents several other cases, including that of senior monk Lobsang Samten, 53, from Golog's Chigdril County, and Lobsang Trinley, 40, from Ngaba County, who disappeared into Chinese custody in September 2024 without any official explanation or access to their families.
The practice of enforced disappearances inflicts lasting psychological trauma not just on the victims but also on their families. The CTA has called on the global community to hold China accountable for the practice of enforced disappearances in Tibet and to stand in solidarity with the Tibetan people in their struggle for freedom and human rights.
