Statement on Tibet-Nepal floods
Australia Tibet Council
On behalf of the Australia Tibet Council, we express our grief and sadness at the news of the devastating mass flooding event in the Himalayan border region between Tibet and Nepal.
Tourists from Australia and across the world, and local Tibetans and Nepalese are among the dead and missing. We stand in full solidarity with the people of Nepal and Tibet during this dark hour.
While the full causes are still to be understood, there has been a reported increase in seismic activity in the fragile Tibetan plateau in recent years. China is currently building the world’s biggest dam in an earthquake-prone region of Tibet.
Australia Tibet Council and other human rights groups have called for a moratorium on China’s mines, dams and mega-development in Tibet. China must cease all planning, proposing, and construction of large-scale hydropower dams within Tibet.
https://www.atc.org.au/tibetmoratorium/
Quotes attributable to Dr Zoe Bedford, Executive Officer, Australia Tibet Council:
“At the very least, Australia should be questioning China’s mega development activities in Tibet in the wake of this tragedy. The Australian Government should be demanding that international scientists, journalists and observers should be allowed to enter Tibet to understand the effect of these mega development projects on Tibetans, on Tibet’s environment and on the people and countries downstream.”
“The international community has the right to ask questions of the Chinese Communist Party, what is it doing to mitigate the risks for people in nations downstream?”
“The ‘Great Bend’ (Medog Hydropower project) will be the world’s largest hydropower project when completed, but what right does China have to dam Tibet’s rivers and control Asia’s water supply?”
Background
China has been mining and damming occupied Tibet at an alarming rate since it occupied Tibet in the 1950's. Tibet is resource rich (Gold, Lithium etc) and also the source of 8 major rivers that flow to approximately 46% of the people in Southeast Asia.
Tibet is well known for being the roof of the world and the ‘Third Pole’, and it is the third largest source of freshwater in the world, with the largest concentration of ice and glaciers.
Tibet is the source of most of Asia’s great rivers; the Ganges and Brahmaputra (flow to India and Bangladesh); the Indus (flows to Pakistan); the Irrawaddy and Salween (flows to Burma/ Myanmar); the Mekong (flows to Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand) and the Yangtse and Yellow Rivers which flow to China.
China is now constructing the massive Medog Hydropower Station on the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet, which will become the world's largest hydroelectric project upon completion.
Ethical concerns about this dam:
Is it safe to build the world’s largest dam in a seismically unstable area?
Are China's dams and mega developments affecting or causing further seismic instability in the area?
The continued destruction of Tibet's natural landscape and the stealing of Tibet's natural resources while the country is under occupation by China
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crmn127kmr4o
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ENDS
About us:
Australia Tibet Council campaigns for the freedom and human rights of Tibetans.
Contact details:
Dr Zoȅ Bedford, Executive Officer, Australia Tibet Council
0408 262 576
Mr Kalsang Tsering
Member of the Tibetan Parliament (in Exile) representing Australia
0447 053 599
