A new report says recent patterns of growth in nighttime lighting concentrated in higher security facilities in Tibet indicate the Chinese government is imposing longer detentions and imprisonments on Tibetans.

Rand Europe’s report, “A night-time lighting analysis of Tibet’s prisons and detention centres,” analyzes light seen from space and measured over monthly averages, finding a growth in emitted light since 2019. This led researchers to conclude that the growth could indicate new construction or the expansion of existing prison and detention facilities.

The International Campaign for Tibet said: “This Rand report corroborates analysis over the years by the International Campaign for Tibet and others, including satellite imagery of Tibet’s capital Lhasa, revealing hyper-securitization and the unprecedented scope of China’s machinery of compliance in Tibet.

“Evidence of the expansion and modernization of prison and detention facilities in Tibet in a political climate of tightened control remains a threat to a rules-based order that respects international human rights standards. We call on governments to raise the systematic and widespread rights violations in Tibet with the Chinese government and consider concrete actions. Such actions should include bilateral sanctions against officials in the state and Communist Party apparatus. Tibet should also be addressed with greater resolve at the United Nations and other international fora.”

Source: International campaign for tibet