Tibetan Exile Body Rejects Wangchuk's Ladakh-Tibet Comparison as 'Misplaced'

The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) has pushed back against remarks by Ladakh activist Sonam Wangchuk, who likened the situation in his region to China's treatment of Tibet. In a post on X on Friday, CTA spokesperson Tenzin Lekshay said the comparison was "misplaced and inaccurate" and did not reflect conditions inside Tibet. He said Tibet remains under authoritarian Chinese rule, where Tibetans face systematic curbs on fundamental rights and religious freedom, along with what he described as intensifying efforts to erase their distinct cultural identity.

Wangchuk had made the remarks on Thursday while addressing a gathering in Leh to mark the first anniversary of violence in which four civilians were killed in police firing. He said Ladakh had chosen India for its democracy and alleged that the region was being suppressed in a manner that even China was not doing in Tibet. He also described fear among people in Ladakh over the past year and demanded the resignation of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, holding him responsible for what he called a massacre.

On Friday, Wangchuk sought to explain his comparison, saying those questioning it were unaware of what had happened in Leh because of a weeks-long internet blackout. He posted a video that he said showed police violence during his 14-day hunger strike last year. Acknowledging the suffering of Tibetans and reiterating his opposition to Chinese repression, he said that those who had witnessed events in Leh might not disagree with him. He claimed that in a town of 20,000 people, four were killed, one died by suicide, 80 were injured and 75 arrested on charges including attempt to murder, all without firing orders in what he called stage-managed violence. He also referred to Parliament being disrupted in Delhi over the use of pellet guns and lathi charge at Jantar Mantar, asking whether Shah should resign for the events in Ladakh.

The violence of September 24 last year, during protests in Ladakh, stalled dialogue between the Ministry of Home Affairs and representative groups from the region. Wangchuk was booked under the National Security Act and held in Jodhpur for six months on charges of instigating the protests.

His remarks came days after the Centre proposed a constitutional provision under Article 371(K) to extend additional protections to Ladakh. The proposal was discussed at a meeting of a sub-committee with the MHA earlier this month on greater democratic representation and constitutional safeguards for the region. Separately this week, Ladakh Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena announced the withdrawal of criminal cases against 20 of the 87 people booked after last year's violence, a move that has been a key demand of representatives engaged in talks with the Centre.