Four Tibetans Shot Dead in Mining Protest

On August 17th, Chinese police opened fire on a group of Tibetans protesting the expansion of a Chinese-owned gold mining operation on their land. Sources have reported that four Tibetans were shot dead and thirty more injured in the violent attack. The group had been picketing the county government office in Palyul County, Kardze Prefecture in eastern Tibet (Ch: Baiyu Country, Ganzi Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province) to protest the mine, which is destroying farmland and harming the local environment. Chinese police reportedly used 'incapacitating gas' to try and disburse the Tibetans, but when the group resisted, police opened fire.

This horrific attack comes amidst growing protests by Tibetans against Chinese and foreign mining operations in Tibet. Please take action now to shine a global spotlight on the Chinese government's actions. International pressure does make a difference.

—source: studentsforafreetibet.org, August, 2010