Two Tibetan Monastery Leaders Jailed Over Dam Protest

Two senior monks from Yena Monastery in Dege County, eastern Tibet, have been sentenced to three and four years in prison for opposing China’s Gangtuo hydropower project, reported Radio Free Asia. Abbot Sherab and administrator Gonpo were among hundreds detained in February 2024 during rare protests against the dam, which threatens to submerge historic monasteries and displace local communities. Gonpo is reportedly in critical condition from torture. Authorities have since heavily restricted movement in the area, placing nearly 4,000 residents under intense surveillance, amid ongoing fears of cultural and religious repression.