Tibetan groups demand international media access to Kyirong after avalanche and Nepal floods
Tibetan community members and environmental researchers expressed concern on September 1 over difficulties in accessing verified information about the impact of a glacial avalanche that struck Kyirong, Tibet, and caused a flash flood in Nepal's Rasuwa district on August 26. At a press conference in Dharamshala, rights groups called for China to allow international media unfettered access to verify and report on the loss of life and damage in Kyirong.
According to a statement by the International Tibet Network (ITN) and Students for a Free Tibet-India (SFT-India), Chinese state media has reported 16 deaths and more than 558 missing people in Tibet. In Nepal, at least 939 people have died and over 3,925 remain missing, including hundreds of foreign nationals from more than 36 countries, as reported by the groups and later confirmed by Nepal's National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA).
The groups demanded that Beijing not punish Tibetans who share information or attempt to contact family and friends about the flood's impact. They also urged China to share timely and accurate transboundary hydrological data with downstream countries—Nepal, India, and Bangladesh—and to provide early warnings.
Researchers and activists speak out
Dhondup Wangmo, a research fellow at the Tibet Policy Institute, told reporters that the flash flood was caused by a glacier collapse that triggered a chain reaction. She described it as "not an isolated incident" and questioned why China had not monitored the event earlier. "The river that had caused this tragic flash flood has traveled around some 20 kilometers. So we have a lot of time... we have enough time to give the early warning system to the people, and we can save their lives," she said, adding that "they didn't give value to human life." Wangmo also suggested China was more interested in blaming Nepal for the flood.
Wangmo further stated that the disaster underscored what Tibetans have said for decades—that Tibet is geologically unstable and vulnerable to global warming, permafrost melt, and glacial retreat. She said China rarely shares environmental impact reports on its infrastructure and hydropower projects in Tibet, and that it has a "moral responsibility" to share transparent data and proactively issue early warnings.
Dr. Lobsang Yangtso, senior researcher at the International Tibet Network, said the vulnerability faced by Tibetans and Nepalis is "especially cruel" because they have been among the loudest voices warning of climate and geological risks. She noted that Tibetans are among the least contributors to global greenhouse gas emissions yet are far more susceptible to climate danger due to their Himalayan location. In a separate statement, Yangtso said China should be held accountable for not sharing information freely, pointing to the Brahmaputra River, where China is building what she described as the world's largest hydropower dam. "Transparency in terms of information has to be initiated by both sides," she said, adding that the issue should be a top agenda item and that China should be asked to share information on glacier risk and water levels on transboundary rivers.
Tashi Dhondup, campaign coordinator for SFT-India, alleged an information blackout and accused China of penalizing Tibetans who provide information about the disaster, saying at least 10 people had been penalized. He said, "Under Chinese rule, Tibetans have no freedom to decide how our land is used. We are not consulted when Chinese companies build dams, dig mines, or harness our rivers and extract the rare minerals under our soil. Tibetan lives are dispensable to China, as is evident in their lack of rigorous reporting of loss to Tibetan life and homes in Kyirong county."
In a joint statement, ITN and SFT-India said China exercises "iron-fist control" over media and information in Tibet, maintaining stability in what they called the occupied territory by imposing restrictions on information transmission, political and civil liberties, and freedom of movement for Tibetans.
Chinese foreign ministry responds
China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun rejected allegations of censoring flood videos and lacking transparency. Speaking on Monday, he said, "China's information disclosure is open and transparent, allowing timely understanding of the situation." He also said, "Malicious smear campaigns and hype using the disaster situation do not align with popular sentiment."