Tibetans Protests Illegal Gold Mining Operations in Eastern Tibet

Despite the rainy day on Dec. 20, 2025, the San Francisco Regional Tibetan Youth Congress (SFRTYC) held a peaceful protest in front of the Chinese Consulate in San Francisco over illegal gold-mining operations in Sershul, Eastern Tibet, and the subsequent arrests of more than 80 innocent Tibetans in the region. According to reports, the gold-mining operations were being undertaken in Serkhok, a traditional grazing site in the region. The Serkhok Valley is known in Tibetan as “Gold Valley.” The organizers are calling for the immediate halt to the gold-mining operations, the immediate release of Tibetan protesters, and an end to environmental destruction. According to the International Campaign for Tibet (ICT), based in Washington, D.C., “The developments in Kashi represent the intersection of environmental disputes, restrictions on traditional economic livelihoods, cultural suppression, and systematic human rights violations. The pattern of mining-related conflicts, combined with long-standing restrictions on Tibetan religious, cultural, and economic practices, reflects broader documented trends across Tibetan regions in recent decades.” In a joint statement released by five major non-governmental organizations in India, they demanded an immediate halt to the destruction of the Tibetan Plateau’s environment and called for its protection. They demanded the unconditional release of all arrested and imprisoned Tibetans. They urged authorities to account for all disappeared individuals and return them safely to their families. They also called for an end to mining and mega-development projects on Tibetan land carried out without informed consent, and for the protection of Tibetans’ fundamental rights. They further urged the international community to pay attention to Tibet’s fragile ecosystem and defend the fundamental rights of the Tibetan people. Although the Chinese Consulate was closed that day, passersby in cars honked in support of our protest. The protest began with the singing of the Tibetan National Anthem and ended with the Prayer of Truth in honor of all Tibetan martyrs who have given their lives and for all those who continue to suffer under the brutal regime of the People’s Republic of China.