The Chinese Communist Party confirmed on Monday that ten people have been hit with “administration penalties” over the past week for allegedly spreading “online rumors” and “misinformation” about the mudslide and flooding disaster that struck Tibet and neighboring Nepal.
The announcement follows widespread reports that Chinese authorities have censored some of the most alarming videos showing mudslides destroying communities, roads, and bridges in the region, prompting critics to accuse Beijing of concealing the true scale of destruction in occupied Tibet.
The disaster began Wednesday when a sudden rush of ice, rock, water, and mud swept down from Himalayan peaks following heavy rains, burying entire towns in Nepal and Tibet. The U.S. Geological Survey said the following day that the event appeared to stem from a sudden “glacial collapse.” The disaster struck during an ongoing Hindu religious pilgrimage in Nepal and trapped citizens from multiple countries, hundreds of whom remain unaccounted for.
As of Monday, Nepal’s government has confirmed more than 900 deaths and at least 4,700 people missing. China, by contrast, has confirmed only 16 deaths and 546 missing people as of Sunday — a disparity that has fueled public skepticism.
Cybersecurity Police Target Online Estimates
Chinese officials have complained that rescue efforts are being complicated by internet users who, based on videos of the destruction, argue that Beijing’s casualty figures don’t add up. The state-run Global Times reported Monday that at least ten cases tied to the Tibet mudslides had been processed by China’s cybersecurity police, though the report did not specify what punishments were imposed.
“In one case … an internet user surnamed Qiu had speculated without evidence and posted a rumor on an online platform claiming that ‘the news says 1,400 people were killed, but actually 3,000 people had already gone missing,'” the Global Times reported. “Beyond deliberately inflating casualty figures, some individuals fabricated claims about the number of people swept away or missing at the disaster site, creating a distorted picture of the scale of the disaster.”
China has controlled Tibet as a colony for decades, implementing policies critics say are designed to erase indigenous Tibetan identity in favor of Han-supremacist communist doctrine, and more recently has been accused of running state-sponsored forced labor schemes in the region.
Advocates Say Real Toll Is Being Hidden
Zoë Bedford, executive officer of the Australia Tibet Council, told Australia’s SBS News that Beijing’s motives go beyond disaster response.
“For China, everything is inherently political when it comes to Tibet,” Bedford said. “What they’re afraid of is people hearing Tibetan voices. They’re afraid of people understanding the extent of China’s mega-development in Tibet and how much they have been interfering in the environment.”
Tencho Gyatso, president of the International Campaign for Tibet, told the U.K. Guardian that sources on the ground indicate China’s official casualty counts are significantly understated.
“What is visible in Nepal exposes what is being concealed in Tibet. Four villages – Sale, Serchung, Labi and Rizi – were among the hardest hit, with approximately 300 homes reportedly destroyed and many people still missing,” Gyatso said. “The Chinese government portrays it like it’s only happening in Nepal and there’s nothing across the border. For any type of crisis, the way China handles it is that there is no crisis. The party is in control.”
Multiple international news reports indicate that footage of the flooding widely circulated on global social media platforms is absent from Chinese domestic equivalents, where only state propaganda videos depicting rescue workers appear to be accessible.
Beijing Denies Cover-Up
Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun fielded questions from international reporters on the censorship allegations, expressing irritation at what he called disinformation.
“Intensive search, rescue and relief operations are still underway in an orderly manner in the disaster-hit areas. China has been open, transparent and timely in information release,” Guo told Sky News. “Smear and disinformation is most unwelcome at a time of disaster response.”
Guo also rejected reports in Indian media suggesting Chinese construction projects raised the risk of mudslides in the region, calling such claims “malicious speculation that has no factual basis.” He further denied accounts that China withheld surveillance footage or other intelligence from Nepal.
“We have been providing Nepal with meteorological and hydrological data, conducted consultation among experts, and shared early-warning information,” Guo said. “China will continue giving strong support to Nepal in its relief efforts and strengthen cooperation with Nepal on disaster prevention and control for the shared benefit of both peoples.”
