贡觉县中共党委副书记到居民家中访问,劝说他们同意整村搬迁,西藏自治区三岩(Sa-ngen)地区,2024年3月。

‘教育群众改变思维’

中国政府胁迫西藏农牧民搬迁

贡觉县中共党委副书记到居民家中访问,劝说他们同意整村搬迁,西藏自治区三岩(Sa-ngen)地区,2024年3月。 © 2024 “贡觉先锋”微信帐号

摘要

从2016年起,中国政府突然大幅加速对西藏农牧民的迁移安置。 政府声称相关安置措施(通常把他们迁移到数百公里之外)纯属自愿性质,而且有助于“改善人民生计”、“保护生态环境”。

本报告依据2016年至2023年的逾千则中国官方媒体报导以及政府出版物和实地学术研究,指出中国国内媒体对许多案件的报导均与官方依法取得被迁移者同意的说法背道而驰。

新闻报导显示,藏区“整村迁移”项目实际上是强迫参与的。 据这些报导描述,许多藏人非常不愿意随村搬迁。 例如其中一个村子,全村262户当中有200户起初不愿搬迁到将近1千公里外的新地点。 另一个已排定搬迁的村子,除了一名共产党积极分子之外,所有村民原本都不同意搬迁。 但无一例外地,所有搬迁案件据报道都在最后得到村民同意。 人权观察至今未发现任何一个预定搬迁的村子或个别村民能够免于被搬迁。

官方媒体报导显示,官员采用各种极端的说服方式(即强制手段)施压农牧民同意整村迁移。 这些手段包括:反覆的家庭访问;否定村民有足够智力为自己做决定;暗示可能遭受惩罚;禁止批评;以及威胁地方官员若未达标将予纪律处分。 在某些案例,为了获得村民 “同意”而登门拜访的官员级别逐步升高,有时家庭访问长达数年不间断。 人权观察取得的一些官方新闻报导和影片显示,官员向居民扬言若不搬家就切断他们目前住所的基本服务。 另一些报导显示,当局公然威胁抗议搬迁的村民,指控他们“散布谣言”,并命令官员对这种行为予以“迅速、坚决”的打击(意味行政和刑事处罚)。 本报告包含三个案例研究,详尽说明获得整村居民 “同意”搬迁的时程、目标、论点和方法。

这些强制手段源自上级当局对地方官员施加的压力,上级当局通常将搬迁计画描述为中央或西藏自治区政府直接下达的一项毫无商量余地的重大政治任务。 这使得地方官员在地方层级的实施上毫无弹性,而且地方官员被要求取得受影响村民全体同意才能执行搬迁。

除了整村迁移,西藏还有第二种搬迁形式──分散搬迁。 这种形式的搬迁通常是由官员挑选较贫困的家庭,将他们搬迁到更适合赚取收入的地区。 虽然村民可以拒绝搬迁,但人权观察在许多案例中发现,官员会提供搬迁可获经济利益的误导资讯以获取这些家庭的同意。 根据先前项目经验,官员们应已明了许多农村人口在搬迁后将无法在新环境中找到可持续的工作。

即使由中国官方学者在西藏搬迁地点进行的调查(通常不会批评政府)也得出不同结论,即许多被搬迁者“找不到合适的工作来养家糊口”,而且“对搬迁的满意度偏 低”。 2014年对先前西藏自治区东部搬迁计画的一项审查发现,即使经过十年,仍有百分之69的被搬迁者面临财务困难,百分之49希望搬回草原上的老家。 地方官员故意向西藏农牧民提供搬迁具有经济利益的误假资讯,从而造成过分期望,可能是导致人们不满的原因之一。

无论是整村或分散搬迁,中国法律都要求被搬迁人拆除原有住房,以阻止他们迁回。 我们的研究发现,西藏官员经常强制执行这条规定。

官方统计显示,中国当局将在2000年至2025年之间搬迁安置藏族农牧民逾93万人(见附录一)。 其中大部分的搬迁(逾709,000人,即搬迁总数百分之76)发生在2016年以后。

同样在2000年至2025年这段期间,有336万藏族农牧民受到其他政府计划影响而被要求重建住房,若属游牧民则必须改采定居生活方式,不一定需要搬迁。

鉴于中华人民共和国农村地区共有455万藏族居民,前述数据显示绝大多数藏族农牧民都曾在过去二十年中受到中国政府住房搬迁或重建政策的影响。 许多藏人被迫多次搬迁或重建家园。

尽管大规模居民搬迁也发生在中国其他地区的贫困农村,但西藏社区可能因这些行动遭受毁灭性影响。 与当前中国政府将西藏教育、文化和宗教融入 “中华民族”的计划相结合,对农村社区的搬迁将对西藏文化和生活方式造成侵蚀或重大损害,特别是因为西藏的大多数搬迁计划均涉及 将农民和牧民迁移到他们无法从事原本生计的地点,从而使他们别无选择只能转向非农产业寻求工资劳动职缺。

西藏的搬迁计画违反国际人权法标准。 国际法禁止“强迫搬迁”,即在未予适当形式的法律或其他保护之下,违背个人、家庭或社区的意愿将其迁离住所或土地。 强迫搬迁还包括缺乏有意义的协商或赔偿,以及未考虑“所有可行替代方案”的搬迁。 另一方面,合法搬迁也必须遵守相关国际人权法并“遵循合理性和相称性的一般原则”。

如本报告详述,中国政府施压或强迫藏人搬迁的政策未达前述标准。 当局既未在搬迁之前探讨“所有可行替代方案”,也未确保被搬迁者得到“足够赔偿”、在不满意时有权返回或其他程序保障。

建议

对中华人民共和国政府

涉及西藏搬迁项目的各个有关当局应该:

  • 暂停西藏搬迁项目,直到现行政策措施经独立专家审查确认符合中国法律、标准以及有关强迫搬迁的国际法。
  • 确保所有搬迁均以符合国际人权标准的方式实施,包括在搬迁前探讨 “所有可行替代方案”,给予适当赔偿,以及向受影响者提供法律救济和法律援助。
  • 停止强制或以其他不当压力使人同意政府搬迁计画,并适当处罚或起诉任何如此做的官员。
  • 取消所有要求官员说服一定人数同意搬迁的配额、期限或指标。
  • 处罚任何向预定被搬迁者提出无根据或未核实的搬迁利益的官员。
  • 停止要求被搬迁者拆除其原有住房。
  • 支持学术机构在搬迁前和搬迁后针对居民意见定期执行并发表独立的学术调查,并根据居民观点采取改善措施。
  • 为可能被搬迁者提供免费实地考察可能搬迁地点的机会。
  • 与可能被搬迁者进行定期、包容性的咨询,包括关于选址偏好的咨询。
  • 承认并维护言论、集会和结社自由权,确保藏人和其他人能够参与表达关切和批评(包括针对政府搬迁政策)的和平活动。
  • 允许受搬迁影响的人返回原本土地或就近安置以继续从事原本生计活动。
  • 应多位联合国特别报告员的要求,允许访问所有藏区。
  • 根据《经济、社会及文化权利国际公约》修改中国相关法律,确保其符合有关强迫搬迁的国际标准。

对联合国人权理事会和其他联合国机构

  • 联合国人权理事会应采纳逾50位联合国独立人权专家的建议,对中国政府在西藏、新疆、香港和全中国犯下的人权侵害进行公正、独立的调查。
  • 联合国人权事务高级专员应本于其独立监测与报告的职权,就西藏人权状况收集资讯、就其发现公开表达关切、研拟报告,并定期向人权理事会汇报。
  • 联合国特别程序应本于各自职权,持续记录并公开报告中国当局在西藏的人权侵犯。

对外国政府

  • 敦促中国政府尊重藏人的言论、集会与结社自由权,以便他们能向政府提出质疑,包括有关搬迁政策的议题;
  • 呼吁中国政府按照多位联合国特别报告员的请求,允许他们访问西藏。

[1] Human Rights Watch, “No One Has the Liberty to Refuse”: Tibetan Herders Forcibly Relocated in Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, and the Tibetan Autonomous Region, (New York: Human Rights Watch, 2007), https://www.hrw.org/report/2007/06/10/no-one-has-liberty-refuse/tibetan-herders-forcibly-relocated-gansu-qinghai-sichuan; Human Rights Watch, They Say We Should be Grateful: Mass Rehousing and Relocation Programs in Tibetan Areas of China, (New York: Human Rights Watch, 2013), https://www.hrw.org/report/2013/06/27/they-say-we-should-be-grateful/mass-rehousing-and-relocation-programs-tibetan.

[2] Human Rights Watch, One Passport, Two Systems: China’s Restrictions on Foreign Travel by Tibetans and Others, (New York: Human Rights Watch, 2015), https://www.hrw.org/report/2015/07/13/one-passport-two-systems/chinas-restrictions-foreign-travel-tibetans-and-others.

[3] Guoqing Shi, Jian Zhou, and Qingnian Yu, “Resettlement in China,” in Impacts of large dams: A global assessment, ed. Cecilia Tortajada, Dogan Altinbilek, and Asit K. Biswas (Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, 2012), p. 219-20.

[4] Peiling Li and Xiaoyi Wang, “Introduction: Poverty Reduction, Ecological Migration and Sustainable Development,” in Ecological Migration, Development and Transformation, ed. Peiling Li and Xiaoyi Wang (Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, 2016), p. 1-20; Xihong Shu, “The History and Present Condition of Ecological Migration in Ningxia,” in Ecological Migration, Development and Transformation, ed. Peiling Li and Xiaoyi Wang (Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg, 2016), p. 21-46.

[5] Kevin Lo and Mark Wang, “How voluntary is poverty alleviation resettlement in China?” Habitat International 73 (2018): doi.org/10.1016/j.habitatint.2018.01.002.

[6] National Development and Reform Commission, “China’s Policy for Relocation and Poverty Alleviation (国家发展改革委发布《中国的易地扶贫搬迁政策》白皮书),” March 30, 2018, https://www.ndrc.gov.cn/fzggw/jgsj/dqs/sjdt/201803/t20180330_1050716.html. On the political uses of the expression “the soil and water of a place cannot support the local people,” see Yonten Nyima, “‘When the Land Cannot Support the People Any More’: The Utility of an Official Formulation in Resettlement in Tibet,” Inner Asia 25 (2023), doi.org/10.1163/22105018-02501007.

[7] Hongzhang Xu, Xinyuan Xu, and Jamie Pittock, “Understanding social issues in a new approach: The role of social media in displacement and resettlement,” Social Sciences & Humanities Open 7 (2023) 100463, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2023.100463, p. 1.

[8] Lo and Wang, “How voluntary is poverty alleviation resettlement in China?” p. 34.

[9] World Bank, Involuntary Resettlement Sourcebook: Planning and Implementation in Development Projects, (Washington, D.C.: World Bank Group, 2004), http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/206671468782373680/Involuntary-resettlement-sourcebook-planning-and-implementation-in-development-projects, p. 5, 371.

[10] See the National Development and Reform Commission, "National Plan for Poverty-Alleviation Relocation During the 13th Five-year-plan Period,” September 2016, https://www.gov.cn/xinwen/2016-10/31/5126509/files/86e8eb65acf44596bf21b2747aec6b48.pdf, p.6. See also Lo and Wang “How voluntary is poverty alleviation resettlement in China?” p. 35.

[11] National Development and Reform Commission, “China’s Policy for Relocation and Poverty Alleviation.”

[12] “A Balanced Effort: Anti-poverty efforts in Tibet explained,” Beijing Review, March 21, 2017, www.bjreview.com/Nation/201703/t20170321_800091743.html. (The TAR’s 13th Five-Year Plan for Poverty Alleviation says: “On the premise of industrial support, three years will be used to implement ex-situ poverty alleviation and relocation for the 263,129 poor people who have ‘one side of the water and soil cannot support the other.’” http:/www.xizang.gov.cn/zwgk/xxfb/ghjh_431/201902/t20190223_61971.html.)

[13] Registered poor households had already been relocated on an individual basis, usually locally, from villages where, later, whole-village relocation was imposed. This report on Amdo county, for example, shows that poverty alleviation had been completed there by February 2019, 10 months before whole-village relocation began. Those remaining in the villages by the time whole-village relocation started would therefore not have been poor households. “[Looking back at 70 years and looking forward to Xinaqu] - Re-entering the fifth stop on the Tibetan Road - Amdo County's relocation poverty alleviation work has been basically completed (【回眸70年 展望新那曲】--重走进藏路第五站——安多县易地搬迁扶贫工作基本完成----有家有事业),” September 29, 2019, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/aKpDfsmEq-VpPPwiTgd7Kw archived at https://archive.ph/VGy9i on April 15, 2024.

[14] For example, satellite photos show that the Sinpori resettlement site in Lhokha, to which the 30,000 herders have been moved from grassland areas of Nagchu, has very limited cultivable space. The settlement site of Xiangheyuan in Toelung Dechen county in Lhasa, which houses 6,000 former herders, appears to have no available land for farming, let alone herding (see Misleading Information in Individual-household Relocation Programs).

[15] Human Rights Watch, “No One Has the Liberty to Refuse.”

[16] “Party Newspaper Rejects US NGO’s Accusations: Building Homes for Tibetan People Does Not Violate Human Rights (党报再驳美NGO指责:为西藏牧民建房不侵犯人权),” People’s Daily (人民日报), January 27, 2012, https://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/2012/01-27/3623866.shtml.

[17] “因此我们这里不存在强迫的问题,不存在搬迁的问题.” See “The State Council Information Office held a press conference on the economic and social development of the Tibet Autonomous Region (国新办就西藏自治区经济社会发展情况举行新闻发布会),” Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Federal Republic of Germany, June 25, 2007, http://de.china-embassy.gov.cn/chn/zt/zgxz/xzdxdhfz/200706/t20070625_3121455.htm.

[18] “Report distorts facts on Tibet housing project,” China Daily, January 28, 2012, https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/business/2012-01/28/content_14497756.htm. The proportion of those relocated rather than rehoused on the same site during the first phase of the Comfortable Housing Project was given as 20 percent in a 2007 statement: “Last year, 56,000 households and 290,000 farmers and herdsmen moved to new homes… 80 percent of the farmhouse renovation and housing projects in pastoral areas are on the original site and location. [The location of] about 20 percent may be slightly changed, but they are not relocated far away, but in the original village or place (大概有20%可能稍微有点变动,但不是远距离搬迁,就是原来的村子、原来的地方).” See “The State Council Information Office held a press conference on the economic and social development of the Tibet Autonomous Region (国新办就西藏自治区经济社会发展情况举行新闻发布会),” Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Federal Republic of Germany.

[19] Human Rights Watch, They Say We Should be Grateful.

[20] “40,900 Tibetan Nomads Settled During the Settlement Project of the Five-Year Plan (十五期间西藏游牧民定居工程使4.09万人实现定居),” Xinhua, May 4, 2006, https://www.gov.cn/govweb/jrzg/2006-05/04/content_273598.htm.

[21] See Yonten Nyima and Emily T. Yeh, “Houses for People and Houses for Goats: Reducing Pastoralist Mobility in Tibet,” Inner Asia 25 (2023), doi.org/10.1163/22105018-02502021.

[22] See “Tibet implements natural forest protection project to build "ecological barrier in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River" (西藏实施天然林保护工程 建"长江上游生态屏障")” Xinhua, October 7, 2010, https://www.gov.cn/jrzg/2010-10/07/content_1716635.htm.

[23] Human Rights Watch interviews with a 24-year-old woman from Gonjo, Kathmandu, December 30, 2004, and a 28-year-old man from Gonjo, Kathmandu, January 7, 2005. Names withheld.

[24] Human Rights Watch, They Say We Should be Grateful.”

[25] Yang Minghong, “Look at Tibet growth without tainted glasses,” China Daily, February 6, 2015, https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/opinion/2015-02/06/content_19505682_2.htm.

[26] The title of the program includes the phrase “whole-district relocation,” but we have translated this as “whole-village” to make the meaning clearer.

[27] The Sa-ngen Relocation program involves the relocation of seven townships, with 49 villages. See Lanying Qin, “An Analysis of Promoting the Sustainable Development of Relocation for Poverty Alleviation in Tibet---Based on the Relocation of Changdu "Sanyan" Area in Tibet (推进西藏易地扶贫搬迁可持续发展探析———基于西藏昌都市“三岩”片区易地搬迁的分析),” China Tibet Development Forum, July 28, 2020, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/dY0jdERN3BwxvCNGYUgShg archived at https://archive.ph/ASwjL on April 15, 2024. One report says that 45 villages are being moved from Sa-ngen, but this is assumed to be an error. “Summary of Poverty Alleviation and Relocation in the "Sanyan" Area: Changing the Land and Soil to Enrich the People, (“三岩”片区易地扶贫搬迁综述:换一方水土 富了一方人),” September 14, 2018, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/25q71P8f9i_Nm5_MjupbJg archived at https://archive.ph/smYXu on April 15, 2024.

[28] The Sa-ngen program is part of the TAR “Targeted Poverty Alleviation” program, but, unusually—for reasons that are unclear, and which may relate to planned hydropower construction in the area—it requires entire villages to move, not individual households.

[29] See "China’s Tibet builds over 620 prosperous border villages,” People's Daily Online, July 5, 2022, http://en.people.cn/n3/2022/0705/c90000-10119067.html; and International Campaign for Tibet, “New ‘defense’ villages and infrastructure being built on Tibet’s border,” December 23, 2019, https://savetibet.org/new-defense-villages-and-infrastructure-being-built-on-tibets-border.

[30] “As early as July 2017, the People's Government of the Autonomous Region issued the Construction Plan for Well-off Villages in the Border Areas of the TAR (2017-2020), deciding to implement the construction of well-off villages in 628 border first-and second-line administrative villages across the region (of which 427 are border first-line villages, 201 second-line villages and Chayu 察隅 farms) involving 62,000 households and 242,000 people. The main construction contents include housing improvement, infrastructure, public service facilities, industrial construction, and ecological and habitat construction.” “The construction of moderately prosperous villages in border areas is truly beautiful - the first batch of planned total investment this year is 13.525 billion yuan to implement 395 villages (【边境新貌】边境地区小康村建设得真美丽 ——今年首批计划总投资135.25亿元实施395个村),” May 13, 2019, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/lqEmCQblLuEUuGEQgZTGCw archived at https://archive.ph/BCtZV on April 15, 2024.

[31] The meaning of “involved” is unclear, but the numbers of people actually reported in official media as having been relocated to border villages so far appears to be smaller, so it is likely that a large proportion of these “involved” people were already living in border villages that have been redesignated as “new moderately well-off border villages.”

[32] “Extremely High Altitude Ecological Relocation involves 31,721 households in 3 cities (prefectures), 20 counties, 97 townships (towns), and 450 villages (residences) in Shigatse City, Nagqu City, and Ali Prefecture, with a total of 130,302 people.” See “Tibet Vigorously Implements Grassland Ecological Protection and Restoration Projects, to Promote the Construction of a National Grassland Park This Year (西藏大力实施草原生态保护修复工程 今年推进国家草原自然公园建设),” Tibet Daily, July 7, 2021, http://m.tibet.cn/cn/index/ecology/202107/t20210707_7028162.html archived at https://archive.ph/K6z8J on August 2, 2023.

[33] The Poverty Alleviation program in Qinghai moved over 200,000 people “from uninhabitable areas to newly constructed resettlement sites” between 2016 and 2020. “Reflecting on China’s poverty alleviation journey through the lens of Qinghai province,” China’s Poverty Reduction Online, September 8, 2020, http://p.china.org.cn/2020-09/08/content_76681135.htm.

53,568 people were relocated as part of the Poverty Alleviation program in Sichuan province. “Vigorously Advancing in the New Era of Governing Sichuan and Revitalizing Sichuan, Further Leaping Forward | Focus on Rural Revitalization ①: Creating a New Picture of a Beautiful and Livable Countryside Through Both Internal and External Renovation (踔厉奋发新时代 治蜀兴川再跨越丨乡村振兴蹲点记①:​内外兼修 绘就美丽宜居乡村新画卷),” June 9, 2022, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/DFdJu2U7aFwdeW4K_JxCjw archived at https://archive.ph/dQlRb on April 15, 2024; “Poverty alleviation and relocation work in Aba Prefecture during the 13th Five Year Plan period (“十三五”期间阿坝州易地扶贫搬迁工作),” January 12, 2021, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/ZFJaTSVWhsf7-KF6gnRWUw archived at https://archive.ph/xNoRZ on April 15, 2024.

34,575 were relocated in Gannan Prefecture, Gansu Province. “Relocation to Address People's Worries and Build a Dream of Moderate Prosperity in Tibetan Villages (易地搬迁解民忧 藏乡筑就小康梦),” January 9, 2021, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/LyMDW43-x_5eKE9zPORc2A archived at https://archive.ph/fJE8K on April 15, 2024.

13,879 were relocated in Dechen Prefecture, Yunnan province. “Poverty Alleviation Dynamics: A Historic Leap Forward in Diqing and the Comprehensive Construction of a Moderately Prosperous Society (【脱贫动态】历史性跨越 迪庆全面建成小康社会),” July 8, 2021, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/0Sw-XCmdUnqfWddAEArb9Q archived at https://archive.ph/5SJHq on April 15, 2024.

[34] Tibet Autonomous Region Development and Reform Commission, “Tibet Autonomous Region's “13th Five-Year Plan” Period Poverty Alleviation Plan (西藏自治区“十三五”时期脱贫攻坚规划),” November 11, 2018, https://www.xizang.gov.cn/zwgk/xxfb/ghjh_431/201902/t20190223_61971.html.

[35] Defined as places “with severe endemic diseases or frequent geological hazards.”

[36] Human Rights Watch received a list of potential relocation sites in January 2023 which showed eight sites in the TAR, with the name of each site, its altitude, distance from the county seat, and amount of subsidy that relocatees would receive (document withheld to protect sources). The source did not accept the invitation to apply for relocation and did not report any repercussions for this.

[37] Two official reports mention cases where one or more villagers decided not to move and were able to remain in their homes. “Gurgling reassuring water moisturizes the shepherd’s heart (汩汩放心水 润泽牧人心),” Tibet Daily, December 25, 2020, http://epaper.chinatibetnews.com/xzrb/202012/25/content_61786.html; and “Gandan Chuguo town held a meeting to promote evacuation and demolition of the original houses for poverty alleviation (甘旦曲果镇召开扶贫易地搬迁原房屋腾退、拆迁工作推进会),” August 25, 2021, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/zeTYqKU0kktKh9X9mMlZwg archived at https://archive.ph/QvL8h on April 15, 2024.

[38] Tibet Autonomous Region Development and Reform Commission, “Tibet Autonomous Region's “13th Five-Year Plan” Period Poverty Alleviation Plan,” ch. 3.

[39] Quotas for the relocation of poverty-stricken households are based on criteria specified in “TAR Poverty Alleviation Plan for the 13th Five-Year Plan Period,” TAR Development and Reform Commission, November 23, 2018, https://www.xizang.gov.cn/zwgk/xxfb/ghjh_431/201902/t20190223_61971.html.

For the mainland context, see Sarah Rogers, Jie Li, Kevin Lo, Hua Guo, and Cong Li, “China’s rapidly evolving practice of poverty resettlement: Moving Millions to Eliminate Poverty,” Development Policy Review 38 (2020), https://doi.org/10.1111/dpr.12435, p. 541-554.

[40] Personal communication with former field researcher Jarmila Ptáčková, June 13, 2023. Human Rights Watch has documented how quotas for arrests in China’s “anti-corruption” campaign and in the Strike Hard Campaign in Xinjiang have led to arbitrary arrests, torture, and imprisonment. See Human Rights Watch, “Eradicating Ideological Viruses:” China’s Campaign of Repression Against Xinjiang’s Muslims, (New York: Human Rights Watch, 2018), https://www.hrw.org/report/2018/09/10/eradicating-ideological-viruses/chinas-campaign-repression-against-xinjiangs; and Human Rights Watch, “Special Measures:” Detention and Torture in the Chinese Communist Party’s Shuanggui System, (New York: Human Rights Watch, 2016), https://www.hrw.org/report/2016/12/06/special-measures/detention-and-torture-chinese-communist-partys-shuanggui-system.

[41] Tibet Autonomous Region Development and Reform Commission, “Tibet Autonomous Region's “13th Five-Year Plan” Period Poverty Alleviation Plan,” Foreword, section 2.2.

[42] See, for example, Luosang Dajie et al., “Research on the Sustainable Development of Poverty Alleviation and Relocation in Tibet — Based on the investigation and analysis of Lhasa (西藏易地扶贫搬迁可持续发展探究 ———基于拉萨的调研分析),” Economics Teaching and Research Department of the TAR Party School (2020), https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/eIuWhmynHEfiPmVun98r8g archived at https://archive.ph/gmZHQ on April 16, 2024; Li Chengye, “‘Party Building Empowerment and Integration of Villages and Communities’ Drive Common Prosperity (“党建赋能·村社合一”带动共同富裕),” Tibet Daily, April 21, 2022, http://xz.people.com.cn/n2/2022/0421/c138901-35233409.html.

[43] “New evidence of mass DNA collection in Tibet,” Human Rights Watch news release, September 5, 2022, https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/09/05/china-new-evidence-mass-dna-collection-tibet.

[44] “Public Security Bureau went deep into the front line of the border to carry out the special work of “big visit, big investigation, and big resolution” (【微视频】 洛扎县|公安局深入边境一线开展“大走访、大调研、大化解”专项工作),” Uncharted Luoza WeChat, January 29, 2022, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/hZ-4M2oOjGZLOU4lATNyYw archived at https://archive.ph/t34Eu on April 16, 2024.

[45] See, for example, “Qushui County Public Security Bureau “Maple Bridge-style village police room” to create a record of work (打造平安“枫”景线 —曲水县公安局“枫桥式村居警务室”创建工作纪实),” Tibet Daily, July 14, 2020, http://epaper.chinatibetnews.com/xzrb/202007/14/content_37769.html.

[46] See, for example, “Fully understand the importance of in-depth publicity and education of the “Three Consciousnesses” (【观点】梁宁:充分认识深入开展“三个意识”宣传教育的重要意义),” September 5, 2022, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/yrM1_DXCDUH-XmvjbKmpsA archived at https://archive.ph/HK9A8 on April 16, 2024.

[47] “Wu Yingjie and Qi Zhala conducted a field visit to the Sinpori extremely high altitude ecological resettlement site (吴英杰齐扎拉在森布日极高海拔地区生态搬迁安置点调研),” Tibet Daily, January 3, 2020, http://cpc.people.com.cn/n1/2020/0103/c117005-31533809.html.

[48] Universal Declaration of Human Rights, G.A. res. 217A (III), U.N. Doc A/810 at 71 (1948), art. 17.

[49] UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, General Comment No. 4, The Right to Adequate Housing (Art. 11(1) of the Covenant), E/1992/23 (1991), para. 8(a).

[50] Ibid., para. 17.

[51] UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, General Comment No. 7, The right to adequate housing (Art.11.1): forced evictions, E/1998/22 (1997), para. 14.

[52] Ibid., para. 15.

[53] The World Conference on Human Rights, Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action, A/CONF.157/23, July 12, 1993, para. 10; UN Basic Principles and Guidelines on Development-based Evictions and Displacement, Annex 1 of the report of the Special Rapporteur on Adequate Housing as a Component of the Right to an Adequate Standard of Living, A/HRC/4/18 (2007). The Basic Principles state in para. 21:

Evictions require full justification given their adverse impact on a wide range of internationally recognized human rights. Any eviction must be (a) authorized by law; (b) carried out in accordance with international human rights law; (c) undertaken solely for the purpose of promoting the general welfare; (d) reasonable and proportional; (e) regulated so as to ensure full and fair compensation and rehabilitation; and (f) carried out in accordance with the present guidelines.

Other standards in the context of ecological relocations include: UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Guidance on Protecting People from Disasters and Environmental Change through Planned Relocation, October 7, 2015, https://www.refworld.org/policy/opguidance/unhcr/2015/en/117656; and Elena Correa, Fernando Ramirez, and Haris Sanahuja, Populations at risk of disaster: a resettlement guide (English), (Washington, D.C.: World Bank Group, 2011), http://documents.worldbank.org/curated/en/612501468045040748/Populations-at-risk-of-disaster-a-resettlement-guide.

[54] The Law of Land Administration of the People's Republic of China (adopted on June 25, 1986) (amended on December 29, 1988, and August 29, 1998), art. 10.

[55] Loren Brandt, Jikun Huang, Guo Li, and Scott Rozelle, “Land rights in rural China: Facts, fictions and issues,” The China Journal 103 (January 2002). See also: You-Tien Hsing, The Great Urban Transformation: Politics of Land and Property in China (New York: Oxford University Press, 2010).

[56] “China's Wen says farmers' rights flouted by land grabs,” Reuters, February 5, 2011 (accessed January 16, 2024), http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/05/us-china-land-wen-idUSTRE81406C20120205.

[57] Land Administration Law (1998/1999), http://www.lawinfochina.com/law/display.asp?id=3673 (accessed January 16, 2024), art. 54.

[58] Grassland Law, promulgated June 18, 1985, revised December 28, 2003, arts. 18, 45, and 48.

[59] Constitution of the People's Republic of China, amended March 14, 2004, by the 10th National People's Congress at its Second Session, art. 13; PRC Property Rights Law (2007), art. 42; Land Administration Law (1998/1999), art. 39.

[60] Hongzhang Xu, Xinyuan Xu, and Jamie Pittock, “Understanding social issues in a new approach: The role of social media in displacement and resettlement.”

[61] See the National Development and Reform Commission, "National Plan for Poverty-Alleviation Relocation During the 13th Five-year-plan Period,” September 2016, https://www.gov.cn/xinwen/2016-10/31/5126509/files/86e8eb65acf44596bf21b2747aec6b48.pdf, p.6. See also Lo and Wang “How voluntary is poverty alleviation resettlement in China?” p. 35.

[62] “心中产生的疑虑,遇到的困难.” See “Kusang, deputy secretary of the Latod township Party committee and head of the township, went deep into villages (residences) to carry out work on thought education among masses about extremely high altitude ecological relocation (尼玛县来多乡党委副书记、乡长姑桑深入村(居)开展极高海拔生态搬迁群众思想教育工作),” July 10, 2020, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/Fun64MbSsdmFRMi3ZUd0ag archived at https://archive.ph/6bzI4 on April 16, 2024.

[63] “Qiere township has steadily promoted the promotion of extremely high altitude ecological relocation policies (切热乡扎实推进极高海拔生态搬迁政策宣传工作),” October 13, 2020, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/huuECkIAt3wj2M8sdH21hQ archived at https://archive.ph/vXnV3 on April 16, 2024.

[64] “Gandan Quguo Town households carry out poverty alleviation and relocation policy publicity work (甘旦曲果镇入户开展扶贫搬迁政策宣传工作),” July 15, 2021, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/V5rULHCSR4AtkoVhuU5tqw archived at https://archive.ph/4OqaV on April 16, 2024.

[65] “Research on achievements of Tibet’s poverty alleviation and prevention of returning to poverty (西藏脱贫攻坚成果及防止返贫探究),” July 28, 2020, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/b7V8WG8n5hv27KmY78zLxw archived at https://archive.ph/lWdd0 on April 16, 2024.

[66] “Life migration spanning half a century—Tibet’s extremely high altitude ecological relocation solves the problem of symbiosis between man and nature (跨越半个世纪的⽣命 迁徙——西藏极⾼海拔⽣态搬迁破解⼈与⾃然共⽣难题),” Xinhua News Agency, March 17, 2020, http://www.xinhuanet.com/politics/2020-03/17/c_1125726595.htm.

[67] “Gandan Quguo Town households carry out poverty alleviation and relocation policy publicity work (甘旦曲果镇入户开展扶贫搬迁政策宣传工作).”

[68] “Dondrub went to Karchung village in our county to publicize high-altitude ecological relocation policies (【视频】顿珠深入我县嘎琼村宣讲高海拔生态搬迁政策),” November 11, 2019, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/Kv0CaQp2acYRHAfbBtKw0w archived at https://archive.ph/1lWBo on April 16, 2024.

[69] “Drongtsang [Zhongcang] township, Nyima county, organizes and conducts publicity and educational tours for extremely high altitude ecological relocation (尼玛县中仓乡组织开展“极高海拔地区生态搬迁”巡回宣传教育活动),” June 5, 2020, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/Jh8MqAjKsKJWOSW7ppgisw archived at https://archive.ph/Q3Oh5 on April 16, 2024.

See also “Amdo county has smoothly completed the work of soliciting the willingness of pastoralists in villages 2, 3 and 4 of Seu township for high-altitude ecological relocation (安多县顺利完成色务乡2、3、4村牧民群众高海拔生态搬迁意愿征求工作),” May 25, 2018, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/07SKq2h9ANANfU_qaBoXgQ archived at https://archive.ph/x37SG on April 16, 2024.

[70] “Wang Gang, an Aid-Tibet cadre: Always keep in mind the sacred mission of “aiding Tibet, benefiting a place” (牢记嘱托·砥砺奋进│天津市援藏干部王刚:始终牢记“援藏一方,造福一方”的神圣使命),” September 17, 2021, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/6UPLeqo8HPqzaAtBQLclgQ archived at https://archive.ph/hbwXL on April 16, 2024.

[71] “Harge Town: “Party Building Leads” High-quality Promotion of Old Reclamation Work Fully Completed (【乡村振兴】哈尔盖镇:“党建引领”高质量推进拆旧复垦工作全面完成),” May 27, 2023, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/3u4iDFgnIU832SHjpzCtbg archived at https://archive.ph/uImDG on April 16, 2024.

[72] The official phrase used here is “relocated according to specific relocation policies and program requirements.” See “Shuanghu (Tsonyi) County conducts in-depth public opinion surveys on high-altitude ecological relocation (关注||双湖县深入开展高海拔生态搬迁 民意调查工作),” November 14, 2017, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/6dUU2FenCVtaHvutU_HKMw archived at https://archive.ph/1lfvG on April 16, 2024.

[73] “The first group of pastoralists moving out of high-altitude areas write migration legends (西藏首批搬离高海拔地区牧民书写迁徙传奇),” Tibet.cn, September 20, 2018, http://www.tibet.cn/cn/cloud/xszqkk/zgxz/2018/05/201809/t20180920_6275045.html.

Note that five months earlier, in April 2018, the reported figures for Rongmar were: out of 265 households, “179 households are willing to relocate, 42 households are unwilling to relocate, 117 households are willing to join economic cooperation organizations, and 104 households are unwilling to join cooperative organizations.” 42/ out of 265 is 15.8 percent. See “Nyima County solidly carries out field research on high-altitude ecological relocation (尼玛县扎实开展高海拔生态搬迁调研工作),” April 6, 2018, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/dyA78OwkVytDPj0p8EDTEA archived at https://archive.ph/PbgdU on March 21, 2023.

[74] “The working group visited Gangyu Village four times to solve the biggest “pimple” of the relocation of the masses (访真情、解真难——工作组四访岗玉村解开群众易地搬迁最大“疙瘩”),” June 19, 2018, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/j-oyT33Wr0pcAnlgX-qTYQ archived at https://archive.ph/XhjNr on April 16, 2024.

[75] “The working group went to Duoka Village to carry out the third relocation of the village (工作组赴多卡村开展该村第三次动迁工作),” January 24, 2019, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/4AsIX1fvhKAlFMgaKxZcKQ archived at https://archive.ph/rYPQz on April 16, 2024.

[76] “Old Party member Solang Zhuoga, by example, mobilized her family to support the relocation work (老党员索朗卓嘎以身作则发动家人支持搬迁工作),” March 18, 2023, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/R4JBKXQ2VVd9R8WUoAzbUg archived at https://archive.ph/QpfYv on April 16, 2024.

[77] Xingguo Yu, “Study on Influencing Factors of Citizenization of Farmers and Herdsmen in Tibet—Take the relocation households in Sanyan area as an example (西藏农牧民市民化影响因素研究 ——以三岩片区易地扶贫搬迁户为例),” Dissertation, Tibet University, 2021, https://www.soolun.com/degree/1d3b381d85b80d008afd345cae5103c6.html.

[78] “The fifth largest city in Tibet, Senburi, was born, which is more convenient than Lhasa to the airport (西藏第5大城市森布日横空出世,比拉萨到机场更便利),” March 5, 2021, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/zgPFZ7Aish06KlGIfuRCOA archived at https://archive.ph/ZVlkw on April 16, 2024.

[79] “Wu Yingjie and Qi Zhala conducted a field visit to the Sinpori extremely high altitude ecological relocation and resettlement site (吴英杰齐扎拉在森布⽇极⾼海拔地区⽣态搬迁安置点调研),” Tibet Daily, January 3, 2020, http://cpc.people.com.cn/n1/2020/0103/c117005-31533809.html.

[80] “Tibet: How China's toughest battleground defeated absolute poverty?” CGTN, October 16, 2020, https://news.cgtn.com/news/2020-10-16/How-Tibet-eliminated-absolute-poverty-despite-harsh-climate--UDkSdO4J5S/index.html. The full transcript of the press conference is available at https://www.gov.cn/xinwen/2020-10/15/content_5551547.htm.

[81] “Villager A Gong said, ‘The villagers heard that Secretary Wu Yingjie came here to work on site, are very happy. We hope to move out to have more land for farming and for our children to have better education. If the conditions are better than where we are now, we are all willing to move.’” See “Wu Yingjie investigates poverty alleviation work in deeply impoverished areas in the Sanyan area of ​​Qamdo), China Tibet News Network via Internet Information Gongjue (吴英杰在昌都三岩片区调研深度贫困地区脱贫攻坚工作),” October 6, 2017, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/ZeYfNChce8g2NLZs6rS4pA archived at https://archive.ph/1YTSO on April 16, 2024.

[82] Haifang Yu 余海芳, “Study on the Difficulties and Countermeasures of Poverty Alleviation and Relocation in Tibet Case Study of Chayu County, Nyingchi (西藏易地扶贫搬迁存在困境及应对策略 研究—以林芝市察隅县为例),” M.A. thesis, Tibet University, 2020. It is not clear if the people surveyed had been relocated as parts of whole-village relocation or as individual households. If it was the latter, this would show that coercion is also used in individual-household relocation programs, but other evidence of this has not come to light so far.

[83] Yonten Nyima and Emily T. Yeh, “The Construction of Consent for High-altitude Resettlement in Tibet,” China Quarterly (2023) p. 1–19, doi:10.1017/S0305741023000206.

[84] Ibid., p. 10. Nyima and Yeh note from their research that “this stage initially presents resettlement as completely voluntary, and attractive.”

[85] 拉家常 (la jia chang), literally “repeated chats about family [life].” See “Concentrate on multiple measures and take Chaka Town to solidly promote the demolition and reclamation work (凝心聚力 多措并举 茶卡镇扎实推进拆迁复垦工作),” May 20, 2020, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/iF2DEJvApkd0w6T6EC9oUw archived at https://archive.ph/hLiQQ on April 16, 2024.

[86] “Luo Bu, director of the village committee of Xisonggong Village, Zhubalong Township, gathered together: the director of the village committee who “has a way” (竹巴龙乡西松贡村村委会主任罗布扎堆: “有办法”的村委会主任),” June 19, 2021, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/z-4S3F5ofzKfnhXU3n9aDQ archived at https://archive.ph/vATkW on April 16, 2024.

[87] “Amdo county has smoothly completed the work of soliciting the willingness of pastoralists in villages 2, 3 and 4 of Seu township for high-altitude ecological relocation (安多县顺利完成色务乡2、3、4村牧民群众高海拔生态搬迁意愿征求工作).

[88] “A Quick Look at Zhanang (速览扎囊),” April 14, 2023, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/Q4YvmO3gFdBzmxt8L1RmbA archived at https://archive.ph/mMCUj on April 16, 2024.

[89] Ibid.

[90] “要我搬迁到我要搬迁的转变.” See “Go to the grassroots level to do research to see changes and promote improvement (走基层做调研 看转变促提升),” September 27, 2020, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/cv7TjYk6LlZ-J8L66-HaxA archived at https://archive.ph/XhMiA on April 16, 2024.

[91] “针对不愿意搬迁的群众,宣讲组采取“一对一”的方式,经常性走村入户,与群众同吃同住,耐心讲解上级党委、政府所制定出台生态搬迁政策的目的和意义,消除他们的担心和顾虑,并鼓励他们转变思想观念,自愿选择搬迁,积极配合各级党委、政府的工作.” See “Amdo county has smoothly completed the work of soliciting the willingness of pastoralists in villages 2, 3 and 4 of Seu township for high-altitude ecological relocation (安多县顺利完成色务乡2、3、4村牧民群众高海拔生态搬迁意愿征求工作).

[92] “China: Visiting Officials Occupy Homes in Muslim Region,” May 14, 2018, Human Rights Watch news release,

https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/05/14/china-visiting-officials-occupy-homes-muslim-region.

[93] We have no information from the last ten years on what happens if a household targeted for whole-village relocation refuses to give consent, because so far, no cases are known where a household has held out until the end of a whole-village relocation program. With the Sa-ngen Relocation program, where there are indications of refusals by locals to move, the project has been extended, apparently indefinitely, to allow more time for persuasion. Human Rights Watch’s 2007 report on resettlement in Tibet listed multiple protests, conflicts, and arrests in the early 2000s in the TAPs arising from attempts by officials to move Tibetan herders off their lands, and the 2013 report named two Tibetans sentenced to four and three years imprisonment respectively in 2012, partly for refusing to relocate. See Human Rights Watch, “No One Has the Liberty to Refuse,” p. 64-71. Human Rights Watch, “They Say We Should be Grateful,” p. 64.

[94] Human Rights Watch interview with a 28-year-old man from Gonjo, name withheld, interviewed in Kathmandu, January 7, 2005.

[95] “Sanyan area cross-city overall relocation for poverty alleviation "leave no household, no person" There is no room for maneuver, no conditions to talk about (【贡觉要闻】三岩片区跨市整体易地扶贫搬迁“不留一户、不留一人”没有何回旋余地、没有任何条件可讲),” December 5, 2018, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/rdqXfmNx21z37wYCSSNvCQ archived at https://archive.ph/lzICT on April 16, 2024.

[96] “Re-preach, re-mobilize, and re-deploy to resolutely win the tough battle for poverty alleviation and relocation across cities in the Sanyan area (【贡觉要闻】再宣讲、再动员、再部署,坚决打赢三岩片区跨市整体易地扶贫搬迁攻坚战),” December 6, 2018, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/OYTRauudqCtoMm8YDt3KfA archived at https://archive.ph/w10AB on April 16, 2024.

[97] “搬迁工作一户不留、一人不落的决策坚决不容改变,这是区党委、政府的决心,在任何时候都不能动摇.See “Listen to public opinions and resolve public confusion - Tashi went deep into the cordyceps collection points to carry out mass mobilization work for overall cross-city poverty alleviation and relocation in Sanyan area (【贡觉要闻】听民意、解民惑——扎西深入虫草采集点开展三岩片区跨市整体易地扶贫搬迁群众动员工作),” June 13, 2019, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/BWgNNQykHl_ZaGZBmDYJvw archived at https://archive.ph/WFkZX on April 16, 2024.

[98] “A Quick Look at Zhanang (速览扎囊).”

[99] Hongzhang Xu, Xinyuan Xu, and Jamie Pittock, “Understanding social issues in a new approach: The role of social media in displacement and resettlement,” p. 9. See also Lo and Wang “How voluntary is poverty alleviation resettlement in China?” p. 34-42.

[100] “Tour of local relocation work for poverty alleviation No. 20 | Working together to build a moderately prosperous society (地方易地扶贫搬迁工作巡礼之二十 | 携手共进建小康——西藏自治区“十三五”易地扶贫搬迁工作纪实),” December 7, 2021, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/GPPVR_jyYz1Xbo9rjHVqGA archived at https://archive.ph/igvaa on April 16, 2024.

[101] “Summary of Poverty Alleviation and Relocation in the "Sanyan" Area: Changing the Land and Soil to Enrich the People (“三岩”片区易地扶贫搬迁综述:换一方水土 富了一方人).”

[102] Farewell “Sanyan Difficulties” | Poverty Alleviation and Relocation Opens Up a New World (告别“三岩之难”丨扶贫搬迁开辟一片新天地),” CCTV News, January 1, 2020, http://m.news.cctv.com/2020/01/01/ARTIqrQF7e1puAmgoN4b7oaW200101.shtml.

[103] “Nyima county solidly carries out field research on high-altitude ecological relocation (尼玛县扎实开展高海拔生态搬迁调研工作).”

[104] The township was ཁེར་རི་ (Keri). See “Zhaxi went deep into the Sanyan area to carry out a new round of Sanyan relocation publicity, education and guidance work (【贡觉要闻】扎西深入三岩片区开展新一轮三岩搬迁宣传教育引导工作),” June 12, 2020, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/xOh4lrIZohlf_FVC-M8U0w archived at https://archive.ph/uQs3Q on June 28, 2022.

[105] “The first group of pastoralists moving out of high-altitude areas write migration legends (西藏首批搬离高海拔地区牧民书写迁徙传奇).”

[106] “The working group went to Duoka Village to carry out the third relocation of the village (工作组赴多卡村开展该村第三次动迁工作).”

[107] “Moving out of the “poor den” fulfilled the “dream of poverty alleviation”——Scan of relocation for poverty alleviation in Shannan City (搬离“穷窝窝” 圆了“脱贫梦”——山南市易地扶贫搬迁扫),” Xizang Ribao (Tibet Daily), June 6, 2019, https://www.sohu.com/a/318853604_160909.

[108]Lhasa Economic Development Zone organizes relocated people to carry out ethnic unity propaganda to downplay the negative impact of religion (拉萨经开区组织易地搬迁群众开展民族团结宣传淡化宗教消极影响),” October 9, 2021, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/rosOzk0h2MyisaOTKc_q8g archived at https://archive.ph/DZ870 on April 16, 2024.

[109] Lanying Qin, “An Analysis of Promoting the Sustainable Development of Relocation for Poverty Alleviation in Tibet -- Based on the Relocation of Changdu "Sanyan" Area in Tibet (推进西藏易地扶贫搬迁可持续发展探析———基于西藏昌都市“三岩”片区易地搬迁的分析),” China Tibet Development Forum, July 28, 2020, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/dY0jdERN3BwxvCNGYUgShg archived at https://archive.ph/ASwjL on April 15, 2024.

[110] Yonten Nyima and Emily T. Yeh, “The Construction of Consent for High-altitude Resettlement in Tibet.” Official reports rarely reveal financial details, but in one instance in Medog County in 2018, relocated villagers not registered as poor had to bear 15% of the cost of the new house. One household cited as an example owed the government 65,000 yuan (US$10,000). Officials sought to persuade them that subsidies paid to border residents would cover the cost. See “The working group visited Gangyu Village four times to solve the biggest “pimple” of the relocation of the masses (访真情、解真难——工作组四访岗玉村解开群众易地搬迁最大“疙瘩”).”

[111] “After most of the people resettle, the infrastructure here will not be built for individual people, and the state-owned assets will not be allowed to be privately appropriated, and the mountains will be closed for forestry in the future. Therefore, I [Abu] still suggest that people think more about the future and future generations, and relocate as soon as possible.” See “Abu stays on a spot to guide the overall relocation of poverty alleviation across cities in the Sanyan area (阿布蹲点指导三岩片区跨市整体易地扶贫搬迁工作),” April 19, 2020, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/vrBsp_-dKnElgybRYMrL5w archived at https://archive.ph/44YW1 on June 21, 2022.

See also, “In the last visit, they [township officials] said we had better actively cooperate with the government, or we would be going against the wishes of the state and would be held responsible for any negative consequences and would not be given any future development projects.” Yonten Nyima and Emily T. Yeh, “The Construction of Consent for High-altitude Resettlement in Tibet,” p. 13.

[112] “Xie Guogao went to Duoka Village to do in-depth and detailed work on the reluctance of some people to move (谢国高到多卡村就部分群众不愿搬迁问题做深入细致工作),” January 3, 2018, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/6MfnpFD8gi049nFCdk2Zag archived at https://archive.ph/5fPdF on April 16, 2024.

[113] Human Rights Watch interview (name and place withheld), January 8, 2019.

[114] “Start again with more powerful measures to make the Sanyan area cross-city overall relocation poverty alleviation and relocation work achieve “re-breakthrough” (【贡觉要闻】整装“再出发” 以更加有力的措施让三岩片区跨市整体易地扶贫搬迁宣讲工作实现“再突破”),” December 6, 2018, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/LiAm-wMo1Udf-RB0ffBePg archived at https://archive.ph/HHOPH on April 16, 2024.

[115] “Abu stays on a spot to guide the overall relocation of poverty alleviation across cities in the Sanyan area (阿布蹲点指导三岩片区跨市整体易地扶贫搬迁工作).”

[116] “Strengthen the supervision of public opinion and impose administrative penalties on those who maliciously create and spread rumors; grasp the direction of public opinion, actively publicize national policies and measures, and strengthen ideological education for herdsmen, so that herdsmen can understand the benefits of national policies ideologically and consciously invest in them.” See “Nyima County solidly carries out field research on high-altitude ecological relocation (尼玛县扎实开展高海拔生态搬迁调研工作).”

[117] “For acts of inciting and undermining the relocation work in violation of laws and disciplines, we will strictly, swiftly, and resolutely crack down on them, and will not tolerate them. We will escort the high-altitude ecological relocation of Rongma Township and ensure the smooth progress of the relocation work.” See “The supervision team of Rongma Township, Nima County supervised the work of the high-altitude ecological relocation furniture concentration stage in Zangqu Village (尼玛县荣玛乡督导组对藏曲村高海拔生态搬迁家具集中阶段工作进行督查),” June 6, 2018, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/IZzHUVVgTJ2UJh-sHOmcYg archived at https://archive.ph/sL38x on April 16, 2024.

[118] “在现场办公会上,巴桑扎西同志强调:一是竹巴龙乡各级干部、群众、僧人要牢固树立“四个意识”,坚定“四个自信”,做到“两个维护”,在涉及到国家重大项目建设上要有大局意识,要无条件服从.” “The county magistrate Basang Zhaxi went deep into the Xisong Village of Zhubalong Township to supervise and investigate the land acquisition and relocation of the Kamai Exchange Station (县长巴桑扎西深入竹巴龙乡西松贡村督导调研卡麦换流站征地、搬迁相关工作),” February 14, 2023, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/85cehpxpjFQ9EskgK2t8yg archived at https://archive.ph/5d3Kz on April 16, 2024.

[119][Gongjue News] Gongjue county held a mobilization meeting for on-site inspection personnel of poverty alleviation and relocation across the city in Sanyan district (【贡觉要闻】贡觉县召开三岩片区跨市整体易地扶贫搬迁实地考察人员宣讲动员会),” October 13, 2018, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/_WG7jShijic4UsEYXikUcw archived at https://archive.ph/ZlLCc on April 16, 2024.

[120] “Comrade Pubu Duoji led a team to go to Yadong County and Gamba County to connect and investigate the extremely high altitude ecological relocation work in Angren County (普布多吉同志率队深入亚东县、岗巴县对接、调研昂仁县极高海拔生态搬迁工作),” July 22, 2021, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/21r1RnFj4QkZa3RNXPXGIg archived at https://archive.ph/BNLee on April 16, 2024.

[121]Cuoqin County's "three forces work together" to study, publicize and implement the spirit of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (措勤县三力齐发抓实党的二十大精神的学习宣传贯彻工作),” February 8, 2023, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/NaATARTechhCMyct4neXmw archived at https://archive.ph/qaePS on April 16, 2024.

[122] “A new round of publicity group for the relocation of Sanyan in Gongjue county held a mobilization and deployment meeting for publicity work (【脱贫攻坚】贡觉县三岩搬迁新一轮宣讲组 召开宣讲工作动员部署会),” December 5, 2018, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/WXTvDzRutawIsfCBjjK3Vg archived at https://archive.ph/hwdFY on April 16, 2024.

[123][Gongjue Highlights] Gongjue county held a meeting to promote the overall poverty alleviation and relocation work in Sanyan District in 2021 (【贡觉要闻】贡觉县召开2021年三岩片区跨市整体易地扶贫搬迁工作推进会),” April 30, 2021, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/WaWgjHGlIlpA26TQEdWuoQ archived at https://archive.ph/oXkys on April 16, 2024.

[124] “Sanyan area cross-city overall relocation for poverty alleviation "leave no household, no person" There is no room for maneuver, no conditions to talk about (【贡觉要闻】三岩片区跨市整体易地扶贫搬迁“不留一户、不留一人”没有何回旋余地、没有任何条件可讲).”

[125] Yonten Nyima and Emily T. Yeh, “The Construction of Consent for High-altitude Resettlement in Tibet,” p. 9.

[126] Ibid.

[127] Hongzhang Xu, Xinyuan Xu, and Jamie Pittock, “Understanding social issues in a new approach,” p. 9. This study, based on analysis of 287,000 social media postings by people involved in a relocation project in Shanghai, found that officials “selectively present and exaggerate the positive aspects of post-resettlement lives, particularly the high value of their re-allocated new housing in the future [which, f]or most resettlees … is a major part of their compensation…. Local governments are also competitors [with] resettlees for resources during displacement and resettlement and they have strong incentives to reduce the cost[s] of displacement by providing misleading information for resettlees to accelerate displacement.”

[128] Information from overseas Tibetan, February 2022. Name and other details withheld.

[129] Information from overseas Tibetan, March 2023. Name and other details withheld.

[130] The official name of the program that provides these subsidies is the “Rangeland Ecological Protection Subsidy and Reward Mechanism.” It subsidizes pastoralist households for conforming to partial grazing bans and for reducing livestock numbers. See Yonten Nyima and Emily T. Yeh, “The Construction of Consent for High-altitude Resettlement in Tibet,” p. 1-19.

[131] Ibid.:One story was about a resettled pastoralist caught stealing because he had no meat to eat. The other claimed that some resettled pastoralists had returned to their home county to beg for meat and butter. …Two years later [in April 2022, nearly four years after the Rongmar relocation], a Nyima County government report raised the need to improve relocation, including by making sure that those who were resettled “had meat to eat,” suggesting that the rumours were not without basis.” See “Caiwang Renzeng, a member of the city's high-altitude ecological relocation and resettlement leading group, and his entourage investigated the development of the early stage work for extremely high-altitude relocation in Nima County (市高海拔生态搬迁安置领导小组成员才旺仁增一行调研尼玛县极高海拔搬迁前期工作开展情况),” April 13, 2022, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/OYkC4Zg0dKrJaIyGfgtLVw archived at https://archive.ph/OAEXO on April 16, 2024.

[132] Xinling Yang 杨新玲 and Tudeng Kezhu图登克珠 [Thubten Khedrup], “Research on relative poverty among people resettled under the Poverty Alleviation Relocation Program (西藏易地扶贫搬迁人口相对贫困问题研究),” Frontier Governance Tibet Development Forum 1 (2022) 边疆治理· 西藏发展论坛 2022 年第 1 期.

[133] Weilian Zeng 曾维莲, Wenfeng Yang 杨文凤, and Zibao Sun孙自保, “The satisfaction evaluation of the poor population in the relocated migration and the influencing factors——A case study of relocated migration in Tibet (贫困人口对易地扶贫搬迁的满意度评价 及影响因素研究 ——以西藏易地扶贫搬迁为例),” Science & Technology Review 38.13 (2020), p. 113-121.

[134] Luosang Dajie et al., “Research on the Sustainable Development of Poverty Alleviation and Relocation in Tibet — Based on the investigation and analysis of Lhasa (西藏易地扶贫搬迁可持续发展探究 ———基于拉萨的调研分析).”

[135] Haifang Yu 余海芳, “Study on the Difficulties and Countermeasures of Poverty Alleviation and Relocation in Tibet Case Study of Chayu County, Nyingchi (西藏易地扶贫搬迁存在困境及应对策略 研究—以林芝市察隅县为例),” M.A. thesis, Tibet University, 2020.

[136] Lanying Qin, “An Analysis of Promoting the Sustainable Development of Relocation for Poverty Alleviation in Tibet -- Based on the Relocation of Changdu "Sanyan" Area in Tibet (推进西藏易地扶贫搬迁可持续发展探析———基于西藏昌都市“三岩”片区易地搬迁的分析).”

[137] Details have been withheld to protect the author since the survey has not been released for publication.

[138] Yan Zhao, “[Research on Public Management in Ethnic Areas] Paths for Tibet’s extremely high-altitude ecological relocation areas to be integrated into new urbanization ([民族地区公共管理研究] 西藏极高海拔生态搬迁安置区融入新型城镇化的路径),” Journal of Tibet University for Nationalities 5 (2023), https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/F9IJqHD3SBschUYMeyepdg archived at https://archive.ph/kCreX on April 16, 2024.

[139] “From the hometown of 5,000 meters above sea level in Tibet to the new house at an altitude of 3,600 meters above sea level, ecological relocation for more than three years - Rodawa family, embracing a new life (front-line research)” reprinted as “Attention | Ecological relocation for more than three years - Rodawa family, embracing a new life (关注 | 生态搬迁三年多——罗达瓦一家,拥抱新生活),” Renmin Ribao (People’s Daily), May 26, 2023, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/EtLUM0KGFeYiRY1aFVpBEQ archived at https://archive.ph/V1LQi on April 16, 2024.

[140] The relocatees in this survey had been moved as part of the Ecological Migration in the Three-River-Source Region, 2004-2010. See Wei Jim 靳薇, “Investigation report on the current situation of ecological migration in Sanjiangyuan, Qinghai (青海三江源生态移民现状调查报告),” Scientific Socialism 科学社会主义 1 (2014), p. 112-115.

[141] Information from overseas Tibetan, early 2019. Name and place withheld.

[142] “Xiangheyuan Community, Duilongdeqing District, Lhasa City, Tibet: Explore a new model of volunteer service team and build a happy community together (西藏拉萨市堆龙德庆区祥和苑社区:探索志愿者服务队新模式 共筑幸福社区),” March 18, 2021, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/z7RnHRxqwB4h5HlzehQFrg archived at https://archive.ph/q0S6K on April 16, 2024.

[143] The slogan changed from “搬得出、稳得住、有事做、能致富” to “搬得进、稳得住、逐步能致富.” For the first version, see “Tibet plans for this this year so that 25,000 people can move out, live stably, have something to do, and become rich (西藏今年打算这样做,让2.5万人搬得出、稳得住、有事做、能致富),” April 10, 2016, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/RC48BiDyAvKDY9l0xRZq1w archived at https://archive.ph/vbw9w on April 16, 2024. For the latter version, see “Realize the high-altitude ecological relocation of people in Rongma Township stable employment, gradually can get rich (实现荣玛乡高海拔生态搬迁群众稳得住有就业、逐步能致富),” April 10, 2022, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/Cc4IOE6GLIBhIaiZCrCKSw archived at https://archive.ph/Jblaw on April 16, 2024; and “Visiting and inspecting people's sentiments and condolences to warm children's hearts —— Wang Kun, Secretary of the Party Committee of Zhongsha Township, made an in-depth visit to condolences to the relocated people of “Sanyan” (走访察民情 慰问暖童心——仲莎乡党委书记王昆深入走访慰问三岩搬迁群众),” March 4, 2023, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/cc9iMdWj25r2FqAfkuCYsA archived at https://archive.ph/lDkMy on April 16, 2024.

[144] “Wu Yingjie and Qi Zhala conducted a field visit to the Sinpori extremely high altitude ecological resettlement site (吴英杰齐扎拉在森布日极高海拔地区生态搬迁安置点调研).”

[145] “这代人吃苦,子孙后代享福” “This generation will endure hardships for future generations.” See “Wu Yingjie investigates poverty alleviation work in deeply impoverished areas in the Sanyan area of ​​Qamdo), China Tibet News Network via Internet Information Gongjue (吴英杰在昌都三岩片区调研深度贫困地区脱贫攻坚工作)”; “Wu Yingjie visited the relocated households in the "Sanyan" area of ​​Qamdo for poverty alleviation in Lhasa (吴英杰在拉萨看望昌都三岩片区易地扶贫搬迁户),” July 2, 2018, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/u8aClS-Xcvc9A7W2_VxO1w archived at https://archive.ph/S0u8K on April 16, 2024; “The Standing Committee of the Party Committee of the Autonomous Region studied the rural revitalization strategy, the ecological relocation of extremely high altitude areas, etc. (自治区党委常委会会议研究乡村振兴战略、极高海拔地区生态搬迁等),” April 11, 2019, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/l32XI2vEdzQKIf5njIwUkA archived at https://archive.ph/7UumO on April 16, 2024; “Adhere to the people-centered development philosophy and continuously enhance the sense of gain, happiness, and security of people of all ethnic groups (区内要闻 | 吴英杰:坚持以人民为中心的发展思想 不断增强各族群众获得感幸福感安全感),” May 15, 2019, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/H5pNMz8Xd84WasvJfleBbg archived at https://archive.ph/y0rax on April 17, 2024; 吴英杰齐扎拉在森布日极高海拔地区生态搬迁安置点调研, “Wu Yingjie and Qi Zhala conducted a field visit to the Sinpori extremely high altitude ecological resettlement site (吴英杰齐扎拉在森布日极高海拔地区生态搬迁安置点调研)”; “Video | Wu Yingjie investigates poverty alleviation and temple management in Shannan (视频 | 吴英杰在山南调研脱贫攻坚和寺庙管理工作),” June 13, 2020, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/8JwogCFypyeBDAZ08JdRMA archived at https://archive.ph/bsqMz on April 17, 2024

[146] “Gar County promotes the demolition of old houses for poverty alleviation and relocation in an orderly manner (噶尔县有序推进易地扶贫搬迁旧房拆除工作),” August 27, 2019, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/eTtS6wtabQkF8fBwDXzjLw archived at https://archive.ph/xLLp1 on April 17, 2024; “Consolidating the effectiveness of poverty alleviation | Amdo is in action (脱贫攻坚成效巩固 | 安多在行动(五十八)),” October 18, 2019, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/4RwZOUDcJAgf7Tj2TyCjTA archived at https://archive.ph/LC5Do on April 17, 2024; “Wang Lei, former secretary of the Party committee of Tashi Raodeng Township, Milin County, Nyingchi City (群众心中的“雅布嘟”书记——记林芝市米林县扎西绕登乡原党委书记王磊),” July 21, 2021, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/dMKzhm2eT5BE7KrPo4lSzA archived at https://archive.ph/23BKP on April 17, 2024; “Luoza County Commission for Discipline Inspection and Supervision “Three Focuses and Three Escorts" strengthens special supervision to provide strong disciplinary guarantees for strengthening the frontier, prospering the frontier and enriching the people (洛扎县纪委监委“三聚焦三护航”强化专项监督为强边兴边富民提供有力纪律保障),” April 24, 2022, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/1QzYUjBq349tRo8PLdC31A archived at https://archive.ph/PkLk5 on April 17, 2024.

[147] 发改振兴 (Reform and Development, Revitalization) [2019] No. 1068,” issued by the National Development and Reform Commission and other ministries, quoted in “Hundred Questions and Answers on Poverty Alleviation and Relocation in the New Era" - Relevant Requirements for Demolition and Reclamation (《新时期易地扶贫搬迁工作百问百答》——拆旧复垦工作的相关要求),” April 30, 2020, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/2l2SG0W9JHHuIEkEReAgbA archived at https://archive.ph/qJ5Wq on April 17, 2024. For full text of the “Hundred Questions,” see for example Hezheng County Government in Gansu Province, “Hundreds of questions and answers about poverty alleviation and relocation,” http://xxgk.hezheng.gov.cn/Article/Content?ItemID=de0b3070-82f3-4a05-8b04-66263b0cc193, archived at https://archive.fo/9d21t on June 25, 2022. Repeated in “Gar County promotes the demolition of old houses for poverty alleviation and relocation in an orderly manner (噶尔县有序推进易地扶贫搬迁旧房拆除工作).”

[148] “Gandan Quguo Town held a meeting to issue real estate certificates for relocated houses (甘旦曲果镇召开易地搬迁房屋不动产权证书发放会),” May 25, 2021, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/yUlks4mGu7pLu6xo8uFf2A archived at https://archive.ph/19qxL on April 17, 2024.

[149] “Questions and Answers on Poverty Alleviation Knowledge in the Tibet Autonomous Region,” TAR Government (2017), art. 37. Reproduced in e.g.: “Q&A on poverty alleviation in Coqên County, Ngari Prefecture, Tibet (西藏阿里地区措勤县脱贫攻坚知识问答?)” December 27, 2018, https://cq.al.gov.cn/info/1035/4920.htm archived at https://archive.ph/n72fx on June 25, 2022.

[150] “Gandan Quguo Town households carry out poverty alleviation and relocation policy publicity work (甘旦曲果镇入户开展扶贫搬迁政策宣传工作).”

[151] The phenomenon of “relocated people occupying houses in ‘two places’” is also referred to as “running at both ends” or “occupying at both ends.” See “Gandan Quguo Town held a meeting to issue real estate certificates for relocated houses (甘旦曲果镇召开易地搬迁房屋不动产权证书发放会).” See also, “Langkazi County held a symposium on high-altitude ecological relocation (浪卡子县召开高海拔生态搬迁座谈会),” October 23, 2020, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/eFY-PQYKfkvTfLrbyE8Gwg archived at https://archive.ph/cIwsk on April 17, 2024; Harge Town: “Party Building Leads” High-quality Promotion of Old Reclamation Work Fully Completed (【乡村振兴】哈尔盖镇:党建引领高质量推进拆旧复垦工作全面完成).”

[152] “Xiazangke township has solidly carried out demolition, relocation work (我县下藏科乡扎实开展易地搬迁拆旧复垦工作),” June 24, 2020, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/_hUa3DJgXEFgDgSk7trydA archived at https://archive.ph/pxbE0 on April 17, 2024.

[153] “Gandan Quguo Town households carry out poverty alleviation and relocation policy publicity work (甘旦曲果镇入户开展扶贫搬迁政策宣传工作).”

[154] “Newsletter on the demolition of old houses in Tanggu Township (唐古乡搬迁户旧房拆除工作简讯),” June 8, 2021, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/FkgPWU6T3lBhc9UtwQJDAA archived at https://archive.ph/dLbs1 on April 17, 2024.

[155] “Poverty alleviation and relocation "demolition and reclamation" cannot be dismantled | Daily Quick Review (易地扶贫搬迁“拆旧复垦”不能一拆了之 | 每日快评),” Xinhua Daily Telegraph, May 27, 2020, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/6O18RYOvUgK9SHCZoC72Aw archived at https://archive.ph/VyXV9 on April 17, 2024.

[156] “Research on achievements of Tibet’s poverty alleviation and prevention of returning to poverty (西藏脱贫攻坚成果及防止返贫探究).”

[157] “还有的群众持观望态度不忙搬.” See: “[Taking root in the grassroots, exhibiting style, caring for the masses and offering true feelings] Dieshan outstanding youth - Jiabaota (【扎根基层展风采 心系群众献真情】迭山优秀青年——加宝塔),” December 7, 2020, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/sY6scB0UfJ3f1FCp-_jVuQ archived at https://archive.ph/JMXKa on April 17, 2024.

[158] “The relocation and demolition of old houses in Jiajia township in Chentsa (【脱贫攻坚】尖扎县贾加乡易地搬迁旧房拆除暨宅基地复垦工作圆满收官),” June 11, 2020, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/edInZ6u_0ad2BurT4ywcPg archived at https://archive.ph/x0Xyb on April 17, 2024.

[159] “Concentrate on multiple measures and take Chaka Town to solidly promote the demolition and reclamation work (凝心聚力 多措并举 茶卡镇扎实推进拆迁复垦工作).”

[160] “The relocation and demolition of old houses in Jiajia township in Chentsa (【脱贫攻坚】尖扎县贾加乡易地搬迁旧房拆除暨宅基地复垦工作圆满收官).”

[161] “Harge Town: “Party Building Leads” High-quality Promotion of Old Reclamation Work Fully Completed (【乡村振兴】哈尔盖镇:“党建引领”高质量推进拆旧复垦工作全面完成).”

[162] “Party building "red engine" promotes high-quality ex situ relocation, demolition, and reclamation (党建“红色引擎”高质量推进易地搬迁拆旧复垦),” April 27, 2023, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/mJ0O3iCs6GKxv5Jo9kLwsw archived at https://archive.ph/15TBz on April 17, 2024.

[163] “Xiazangke township has solidly carried out demolition, relocation work (我县下藏科乡扎实开展易地搬迁拆旧复垦工作).”

[164] The town བྱམས་མདུན་ (Jamdun) is known as 香堆 (Xiangdui) in Chinese.

[165] “Xiangdui town held a work arrangement and deployment meeting for demolition and reclamation of ex situ poverty alleviation and relocation (香堆镇召开易地扶贫搬迁“拆旧复垦”工作安排部署会议),” May 24, 2022, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/wH5aAD-TKD4o5i8hq8Elyg archived at https://archive.ph/uRc20 on April 17, 2024.

[166] UN Basic Principles and Guidelines on Development-based Evictions and Displacement, Annex 1, 2007, paras. 65-66.

[167] Tibetan: རོང་དམར་ (Rongmar) is known as 荣玛 (Rongma) in Chinese.

[168] “Nyima county solidly carries out field research on high-altitude ecological relocation (尼玛县扎实开展高海拔生态搬迁调研工作).”

[169] “At the end of the meeting, in order to determine the final number of relocation households, non-relocation households, and of people willing to take [non-pastoralism] jobs, Tsering Tenzin, vice head of the township, who is also in charge of poverty alleviation, stressed: Among those households willing to resettle, unwilling to resettle, and those people willing to take [non-pastoralism] jobs, if they change their minds, they should register with the Poverty Alleviation Office of our township in a timely manner today, and we will adjust the final data.” (会议最后,为确定牧民群众搬迁户数、不搬迁户数以及就业意愿人员的最终数据,政府副乡长兼扶贫主管次仁旦增同志强调:如果在意愿搬迁户、不愿搬迁户和就业意愿人员改变主意的群众,今天及时到我乡扶贫办进行登记,我们将对最后的数据进行调整). “Rongma Township held a special meeting on re-arrangement and re-deployment of high-altitude ecological relocation (荣玛乡召开高海拔生态搬迁工作再安排再部署专题会议),” May 11, 2018, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/h5YOlJvW8_p9wPKfOhGmiw archived at https://archive.ph/6gxEl on April 17, 2024.

[170] The working group led by Chairman Qi Zala of the Autonomous Region visited Rongma Township to inspect and guide the ecological relocation work, 自治区齐扎拉主席一行工作组莅临荣玛乡检查指导生态搬迁工作, May 14, 2018, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/PikZiYesxM0iaVFpSt-Fvg archived at https://archive.ph/68Xoj on April 17, 2024

[171]三是加强政策宣传和思想引导工作,进一步增强群众的感恩之心。”

[172]For acts of inciting and undermining the relocation work in violation of laws and disciplines, we will strictly, swiftly, and resolutely crack down on them, and will not tolerate them. We will escort the high-altitude ecological relocation of Rongma township and ensure the smooth progress of the relocation work.” “三是严厉打击。对违法违纪煽动、破坏搬迁工作的行为,从严从快、坚决打击,绝不姑息,为荣玛乡高海拔生态搬迁保驾护航,确保搬迁工作顺利进行.” See “The supervision team of Rongma township supervised the implementation of the concentrated stage of high-altitude ecological relocation of furniture in Zangqu village (荣玛乡督导组对藏曲村高海拔生态搬迁家具集中阶段工作开展情况进行督查),” June 6, 2018, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/EDcbGtIwN4RBm-W2Co4UHg archived at https://archive.ph/eKjxw on April 17, 2024; “The supervision team of Rongma Township, Nima County supervised the work of the high-altitude ecological relocation furniture concentration stage in Zangqu Village (尼玛县荣玛乡督导组对藏曲村高海拔生态搬迁家具集中阶段工作进行督查),”

[173] “The working group went to Duoka Village to carry out the third relocation of the village (工作组赴多卡村开展该村第三次动迁工作),” and “Xie Guogao went to Duoka Village to do in-depth and detailed work on the reluctance of some people to move (谢国高到多卡村就部分群众不愿搬迁问题做深入细致工作).”

[174] Poverty Alleviation Stories: Lotus Flower in the Clouds, CGTN Documentary, November 26, 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sTaQl-RekI.

[175] The village name is written in Tibetan as རྡོ་ཁ་ (Dokha) and in Chinese as多卡 (Duoka).

[176] Poverty Alleviation Stories, at 18:49.

[177] Poverty Alleviation Stories, at 30:33.

[178] Poverty Alleviation Stories, at 15:53. “The Sixth Session of the 11th People's Congress of Metog County was grandly opened (墨脱县第十一届人民代表大会第六次会议隆重开幕),” April 22, 2020, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/Xe8L-gNj-F97NObGOmunWA archived at https://archive.ph/9Ydl2 on April 17, 2024.

[179] “Xie Guogao went to Duoka Village to do in-depth and detailed work on the reluctance of some people to move (谢国高到多卡村就部分群众不愿搬迁问题做深入细致工作),”

[180] Poverty Alleviation Stories, at 30:10.

[181] Poverty Alleviation Stories, at 19:49.

[182] Poverty Alleviation Stories, at 26:10.

[183] Poverty Alleviation Stories, at 19:12.

[184]There are more than 11,000 people in two counties and seven townships. This "moving" in Tibet has touched the hearts of everyone… (两县七乡、11000多人,西藏的这次搬家,牵动了众人的心……),” July 1, 2018, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/Iu5x3w6NW3FJYNbulE_44A archived at https://archive.ph/OMuAI on April 17, 2024.

[185] “Wu Yingjie investigates poverty alleviation work in deeply impoverished areas in the Sanyan area of ​​Qamdo), China Tibet News Network via Internet Information Gongjue (吴英杰在昌都三岩片区调研深度贫困地区脱贫攻坚工作).”

[186]Wu Yingjie presided over the Standing Committee's study on the work of ex situ poverty alleviation and relocation in the Sanyan area (吴英杰主持常委会研究三岩片区易地扶贫搬迁等工作),” October 9, 2017, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/u6a0BfDsG9RKTZ-VGbsNew archived at https://archive.ph/dm9Zn on April 17, 2024.

[187]Eight "needs,” Chen Jun rearranged, redeployed, and reemphasized the relocation of the "Sanyan" area (八个,陈军对三岩片区搬迁工作进行再安排、再部署、再强调),” May 24, 2018, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/bKRpLmP5eC_xA_VV0BC6vw archived at https://archive.ph/3GtOM on April 17, 2024.

[188]There are more than 11,000 people in two counties and seven townships. This "moving" in Tibet has touched the hearts of everyone… (两县七乡、11000多人,西藏的这次搬家,牵动了众人的心……).”

[189]Relocation for Poverty Alleviation in Tibet: The first batch of cross-city relocated households in the "Sanyan" area of ​​Changdu City to Lhasa (西藏扶贫搬迁:昌都市三岩片区首批跨市搬迁户到拉萨),” June 29, 2018, http://m.tibet.cn/cn/index/syyc/201806/t20180629_6000823.html?from=singlemessage&isappinstalled=0 archived at https://archive.ph/v0F5f on July 10, 2023.

[190] The fourth batch consisted of 523 people relocated to Nyingtri. See: “There are more than 11,000 people in two counties and seven townships. This "moving" in Tibet has touched the hearts of everyone… (两县七乡、11000多人,西藏的这次搬家,牵动了众人的心……).”

[191]There are more than 11,000 people in two counties and seven townships. This "moving" in Tibet has touched the hearts of everyone… (两县七乡、11000多人,西藏的这次搬家,牵动了众人的心……).”

[192] “[Gongjue News] The overall poverty alleviation and relocation of Sanyan, Kuri, Luomai, and Shadong Townships in Gongjue County, has been fully rolled out, (【贡觉要闻】贡觉县克日、罗麦、沙东三乡三岩整体易地扶贫搬迁宣讲工作全面铺开),” August 24, 2018, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/qc7-Vaovnp-S1DQftfWzNw archived at https://archive.ph/bRwDB on April 17, 2024.

[193][Gongjue News] Gongjue county held a mobilization meeting for on-site inspection personnel of poverty alleviation and relocation across the city in Sanyan district (【贡觉要闻】贡觉县召开三岩片区跨市整体易地扶贫搬迁实地考察人员宣讲动员会).”

[194]I went back to my hometown to persuade my relatives (“我回家乡劝亲属”),” November 1, 2018, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/Y6QU5gOqNUz38aGkZLSYtw archived at https://archive.ph/FFu5J on April 17, 2024.

[195] “[Announcement] Gongjue County's announcement on focusing on cracking down on 10 kinds of evil forces and illegal and criminal acts (【公告】贡觉县关于重点打击10种黑恶势力 和违法犯罪行为的通告),” September 21, 2018, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/k9Numx6yOZT1A5tpCojDUA archived at https://archive.ph/Suaip on April 17, 2024.

[196][Gongjue News] A new round of propaganda group for the relocation of Sanyan in Gongjue County held a mobilization and deployment meeting for propaganda work (【贡觉要闻】贡觉县三岩搬迁新一轮宣讲组 召开宣讲工作动员部署会),” December 4, 2018, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/Zrtr0osgNWoOSRhyKGOxdw archived at https://archive.ph/qq1kd on April 17, 2024.

[197] “A new round of publicity group for the relocation of Sanyan in Gongjue county held a mobilization and deployment meeting for publicity work (【脱贫攻坚】贡觉县三岩搬迁新一轮宣讲组 召开宣讲工作动员部署会);” “Sanyan area cross-city overall relocation for poverty alleviation "leave no household, no person" There is no room for maneuver, no conditions to talk about (【贡觉要闻】三岩片区跨市整体易地扶贫搬迁“不留一户、不留一人”没有何回旋余地、没有任何条件可讲);” “Re-preach, re-mobilize, and re-deploy to resolutely win the tough battle for poverty alleviation and relocation across cities in the Sanyan area (【贡觉要闻】再宣讲、再动员、再部署,坚决打赢三岩片区跨市整体易地扶贫搬迁攻坚战);” “Start again with more powerful measures to make the Sanyan area cross-city overall relocation poverty alleviation and relocation work achieve “re-breakthrough” (【贡觉要闻】整装“再出发” 以更加有力的措施让三岩片区跨市整体易地扶贫搬迁宣讲工作实现“再突破”);” “[Gongjue News] The cross-city poverty alleviation and relocation of the Sanyan District is in progress (【贡觉要闻】三岩片区跨市整体易地扶贫搬迁宣讲进行时),” December 7, 2018, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/V6Q1b7Gj1YiFRoga2vCFow archived at https://archive.ph/rtGkU on April 17, 2024; “[Gongjue News] A new round of cross-city poverty alleviation and relocation of Sanyan District has been carried out in depth in Muxie Township (【贡觉要闻】新一轮三岩片区跨市整体易地扶贫搬迁宣讲工作在木协乡深入开展),” December 9, 2018, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/a_61a_odBelRQdOlYluJUQ archived at https://archive.ph/2S0Wf on April 17, 2024; “The cross-city poverty alleviation and relocation propaganda group in Sanyan District mobilized all forces to carry out the relocation propaganda work in Mindu Township (【贡觉要闻】三岩片区跨市整体易地扶贫搬迁宣讲组在敏都乡动员一切力量开展搬迁宣讲工作),” December 11, 2018, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/EXeFLbtdA0ACHk-1lF9h7w archived at https://archive.ph/XvsB3 on April 17, 2024; “The cross-city poverty alleviation and relocation propaganda group in Sanyan District carried out a small-cooked "small classroom" accurate lecture (【贡觉要闻】三岩片区跨市整体易地扶贫搬迁宣讲组开展小灶式小课堂精准宣讲),” December 10, 2018, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/q31dPuzhEOilphC6jW_kbQ archived at https://archive.ph/bmMPq on April 17, 2024.

[198] “一方面要看到三岩没有出路和发展前景,另一方面要看到搬迁地将来的美好生活和发展前景,切实转变思想观念,以牺牲一代人、幸福子孙后代的长远眼光来看待搬迁,尽早搬迁出三岩这个穷山沟,过上幸福生活.” See “Abu investigates the overall poverty alleviation and relocation work across cities in Sanyan area (阿布调研三岩片区跨市整体易地扶贫搬迁工作),” May 23, 2019, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/De9G1L1VdshVKFO-5kyFDQ archived at https://archive.ph/tNN29 on June 28, 2022.

[199] According to two former residents of Gonjo interviewed by Human Rights Watch in 2005, participants in the “Natural Forest Relocation” program in their area in 2001 and 2002 had not received promised compensation from the government or had been given land that could not be cultivated.

1.         “After the migration [in 2001-2], even if we asked [the government] to give us the stated migration compensation of 70,000 yuan to each household, they said that it was [already] spent building new houses for us. [So those who migrated say], “we were duped by the leaders of Chamdo Prefecture and Gonjo County” … Because of that, in 2003 the people did not register to migrate.” Human Rights Watch interview with a 24-year-old woman from Gonjo, name withheld, interviewed in Kathmandu, December 30, 2004.

2.        “8 mu of farmland with crops cultivated were given [to us] on uneven deforested land but because water cannot be brought to the uneven farmland, the crops fried and could not ripen. One day, all the leaders of the township and county came for inspection during which the poor families were crying that we cannot live in this place, we will go back to our native place, and we cannot live our life here. When they said that, these leaders told them that if you return to your native place, you will not be considered a member of that place because you have been moved to this place with the help of the government.” Human Rights Watch interview with a 28-year-old man from Gonjo, name withheld, interviewed in Kathmandu, January 7, 2005.

[200] “Listen to public opinions and resolve public confusion - Tashi went deep into the cordyceps collection points to carry out mass mobilization work for overall cross-city poverty alleviation and relocation in Sanyan area (【贡觉要闻】听民意、解民惑——扎西深入虫草采集点开展三岩片区跨市整体易地扶贫搬迁群众动员工作).”

[201] “By the Jinsha River, they sat on the ground, talking about policies, relocation, and the next generation... (金沙江畔,他们席地而坐,谈政策、谈搬迁、谈下一代……),” July 2, 2019, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/R8RPC2d5HXze9y9765_HLg archived at https://archive.ph/3vWtQ on April 17, 2024.

[202] “的政策和要求没有任何条件可讲,在2019年必须实现三岩整体搬迁,没有任何观望的余地,没有任何讨价还价的条件,这是政策、更是底线,底线是不能突破的,” “The policy and requirements have no conditions to speak of, and the overall relocation of Three Rocks must be realized in 2019, with no room for wait-and-see and no conditions for bargaining.)” See “Sanyan area cross-city overall relocation for poverty alleviation "leave no household, no person" There is no room for maneuver, no conditions to talk about (【贡觉要闻】三岩片区跨市整体易地扶贫搬迁“不留一户、不留一人”没有何回旋余地、没有任何条件可讲).”

[203] “Abu stays on a spot to guide the overall relocation of poverty alleviation across cities in the Sanyan area (阿布蹲点指导三岩片区跨市整体易地扶贫搬迁工作).”

[204] “Abu stays on a spot to guide the overall relocation of poverty alleviation across cities in the Sanyan area (阿布蹲点指导三岩片区跨市整体易地扶贫搬迁工作).”

[205] Radio Free Asia received reports from local informants of the forced relocation of 12 households in March 2019. One source noted that “Under the terms of the China-ordered relocation scheme, the villagers are allowed to come back during harvesting of the caterpillar fungus for the next 20 years,” suggesting that this concession was made to persuade villagers concerned by loss of livelihood. “Tibetan Villagers Forced From Their Homes in Gonjo County,” Radio Free Asia, April 4, 2019, https://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/forced-04042019150724.

[206]抓住既得利益者、抱有幻想者特别是蛊惑煽动群众别有用心的人,认真研究管用、到位、精准化的举措,一件一件、一项一项去做工作.” See “Abu stays on a spot to guide the overall relocation of poverty alleviation across cities in the Sanyan area (阿布蹲点指导三岩片区跨市整体易地扶贫搬迁工作).”

[207] “严重阻碍了搬迁工作的进展,为疏通影响搬迁工作进展的涉组涉干涉编阻力,努力推动三岩片区各级党组织和党员…” See “[Gongjue News] The Organization Department of the Gongjue County Party Committee went deep into the Sanyan area to carry out a special survey on cross-city overall relocation for poverty alleviation (【贡觉动态】贡觉县委组织部深入三岩片区开展跨市整体易地扶贫搬迁专项调研),” May 9, 2020, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/KwkgIK98Srqy5z4K0ONIUA archived at https://archive.ph/RJWhR on April 17, 2024.

[208] Ibid. “[Gongjue News] A new round of cross city poverty alleviation and relocation promotion in the Sanyan area is underway (【贡觉要闻】新一轮三岩片区跨市整体易地扶贫搬迁宣讲进行时),” December 8, 2018, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/tWmIaZXSP7q937t9KONvDg archived at https://archive.ph/Ojebq on April 17, 2024.

[209][Reprinted] Gong Huicai is investigating in Gongjue County (【转载】龚会才在贡觉县调研),” May 7, 2022, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/SKkKqMPGe3zyThaNbHDfOw archived at https://archive.ph/iZCnw on April 17, 2024.

In March 2022, a team was also sent to Keri township to push for relocation. See “[Gongjue News] Gongjue County is actively carrying out the publicity activities for the overall relocation of the Sanyan area across the city (【贡觉动态】贡觉县积极开展三岩片区跨市整体易地搬迁宣讲活动),” March 21, 2022, https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/oxThiDUhyApdVkjQxf-OSw archived at https://archive.ph/vvyvQ on April 17, 2024.