The recent detention of Zhang Yi, a Wuhan activist, in Tibet has raised worries among Tibetan human rights activists and followers familiar with his history since the late 1980s. Zhang was apprehended on July 1 during his visit to Tibet for allegedly displaying a photo of the Dalai Lama on his phone. The handling of his case, along with the arrest, suggests that local authorities may be using China’s new National Ethnic Unity and Progress Promotion Law to exhibit strictness.
Zhang, accompanied by his brother, traveled to Lhasa after obtaining permission to visit Xinjiang and Tibet following multiple requests. While at the Sera Monastery in Lhasa, the brothers attempted to borrow a prayer mat from a Tibetan. Due to a language barrier, Zhang showed a picture of the Dalai Lama on his phone, leading to their arrest by the police. Although Zhang’s brother was released after providing a statement, Zhang himself was subjected to a 15-day administrative detention. His family later received a call informing them of his criminal detention for alleged “incitement,” with the location of his detention still undisclosed.
Born in Wuhan in 1968, Zhang was a student at Wuhan University during the 1989 protests and became a prominent student leader. Following his involvement in the protests, he was sentenced to two years in prison for disrupting traffic and was tortured during his incarceration, resulting in permanent hearing loss in one ear. Zhang’s activism continued post his release, leading to further encounters with authorities, including a previous administrative detention in 2018 for sharing a photo related to Liu Xiaobo and organizing commemorative events.
Ryan Fioresi, Executive Director of the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT), expressed concerns over escalating human rights violations in Tibet, attributing them to China’s intensified assimilation policies supported by the new law. Fioresi urged the US and other governments to pressure Beijing to resume talks with the Dalai Lama or his representatives. He highlighted the troubling situation in Tibet, emphasizing the need for global attention on China’s efforts to erode Tibetan identity through legislation like the Ethnic Unity and Progress Law.
