cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/59978827

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.sdf.org/post/59978306

Archived

Civic space in China is still rated as ‘closed’ by the CIVICUS Monitor. China’s authoritarian state, ruled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), has systemically repressed fundamental freedoms. Human rights defenders and activists report harassment and intimidation; unfair trials; arbitrary, incommunicado and lengthy detentions; and torture and other ill-treatment for exercising their fundamental rights. Protests do occur but are quickly repressed, and critical civil society groups have been shut down. There are also increasing concerns about transnational repression against activists in exile.

A new ethnic unity law came into effect on 1st July 2026 in China despite warnings from the UN and human rights groups that it could threaten freedoms, especially for minorities. The law prohibits acts that “undermine ethnic unity or create ethnic division,” but these terms are broad and undefined, raising concerns about arbitrary enforcement.

In recent months, activists and artists have been arrested or convicted. There have also been reports of torture and ill-treatment of activists in detention. A new law has been proposed that could be used to criminalise lawyers. Censors barred reporting and social media posts linked to the flash flood in Tibet as surveillance persists, including for foreigners.

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There have been reports that the authorities tried to censor and silence reporting and social media posts following the devastating floods in Nepal and across the Chinese border in Tibet in August 2026.

On the morning of 26th August 2026, a landslide of ice and rock resulted in a torrent of mud, water and debris bursting the banks of the Trishuli River, also known as the Bhotekoshi, which runs between China and Nepal. It killed more than 1,450 people, and homes, roads, bridges and power plants were swept away.

In Tibet, officials said in early September 2026 that 43 people had been killed while 519 were still missing. However, the International Campaign for Tibet says its sources believe the number of casualties is significantly higher, with at least 300 homes destroyed.

Censors quickly deleted videos and eyewitness accounts from social media. Journalists working for state media and social media influencers were warned not to report on casualties or missing people unless their reports aligned with official announcements.

On 31st August 2026, Human Rights Watch said it received reports that journalists in China have been barred from the disaster zone and from interviewing families and told they must rely on official information narratives. Allyson Horn of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation said she had made repeated requests to travel to Tibet but was denied. Other foreign journalists were similarly blocked.

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