Tibetan Monk Left Incapacitated After Protest Detention

Gonpo Tsering, a 46-year-old administrator at Yena Monastery, remains in critical condition two years after his arrest for opposing the Kamtok hydropower project. Rights advocates report that the monk is now bedridden and unresponsive, having suffered severe physical abuse while in Chinese custody following his participation in local protests.

Editorial·August 5, 2026·reads: 287

Tibetan Monk Left Incapacitated After Protest Detention

The construction of the Kamtok dam in Derge County triggered significant resistance from local monks and villagers, who warned that the project would submerge historic religious sites and destroy traditional livelihoods. Authorities detained Tsering in February 2024, alleging he led the opposition against the dam. Since that time, his health has collapsed, leaving him dependent on feeding tubes and unable to recognize his own family members.

International Campaign for Tibet reports that Tsering is currently held under strict surveillance at the West China Hospital in Chengdu. His father, Lobsang Dorjee, passed away in September 2025, reportedly devastated by the state of his son’s health. Officials continue to restrict hospital access and have refused to offer financial support for his medical care. This case mirrors findings in the recent report, Justice Denied, which documents systemic torture and the denial of essential medical treatment within China’s detention facilities. ICT President Tencho Gyatso is now calling for international intervention to demand independent investigations into these custodial abuses.