Summary

Tibetan protests against China’s Gangtuo dam on the Jinsha river led to a severe crackdown, with hundreds arrested and reports of beatings.

The dam would flood culturally significant sites, including monasteries, and displace over 4,000 residents.

Protests arose from fears of forced relocation, inadequate consultation, and threats to Tibetan heritage. Beijing defends the project as clean energy development, but critics call it exploitation of Tibetan land and culture.

Rights groups warn of seismic risks and environmental harm, while the crackdown has tightened surveillance and silenced dissent in the region.