(TibetanReview.net, Mar31’25) – Three UN human rights experts have released a joint communication they had issued on Jan 21, expressing concern over the jailing of a 29-year-old Tibetan man for his activism against an environment-devastating sand mining work being carried out by a Chinese building giant in his village in Ngaba (or Ngawa, Chinese: Aba) prefecture of Sichuan province. The communication was released after the expiry of 60 days within which the experts had urged Beijing for a response to their queries.

The experts have noted that Tsogon (also spelled as Tsongon in most of the reports on his case) Tsering, a resident of Tsaruma Village in Kakhog County, Ngaba prefecture, often led online campaigns advocating for the importance of environmental preservation as a member of an ‘Environment Protection Group,’ a volunteer-driven initiative with around 50 members.

He was arrested after protesting against sand extraction in his village by the Anhui Xianhe Construction Engineering Company Ltd. which reportedly caused severe environmental damage, harming local rivers and posing risks to residential areas, the experts have noted.

The communication continued that Tsogon was initially interrogated from Oct 15 to 17, 2024, after he shared a video online about the environmental damage caused by the construction company. He was then held incommunicado over Oct 18-27, after which his family was informed that he would face trial.

The experts have expressed concern that the requirement for those attending the court hearing to submit identification information in advance might have been designed to prevent public monitoring of the trial.

On Oct 28 last year, the Kyungchu County People’s Court sentenced Tsogon to eight months of imprisonment on charges of “disrupting social order”. His current whereabouts remain unclear, and his social media accounts have been deleted.

In their communication, the experts have urged China to clarify the circumstances of Tsogon’s detention, provide detailed information about the charges and legal proceedings, the conditions of his imprisonment and his access to legal assistance as well as family contact. They have also requested information about the environmental impact of the sand extraction project and the government’s response to concerns raised by local residents.

The experts were Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Mary Lawlor; Special Rapporteur on the human right to a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment, Astrid Puentes Riaño; and Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Irene Khan.