Tibetan exile body protests Ladakh activist's Tibet analogy

The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) voiced deep concern on Friday after Ladakh activist Sonam Wangchuk likened Ladakh's unrest to China’s repression of Tibet. CTA spokesperson Tenzin Lekshay called the comparison misplaced and inaccurate, saying it does not reflect the reality of Tibet, which remains under authoritarian Chinese rule with systematic repression of rights, religion and culture. Wangchuk made the remarks on Thursday in Leh, marking the first anniversary of the September 24 police firing that left four civilians dead. He said Ladakh chose India for democracy and that the suppression there exceeds what China does in Tibet. In the same speech he demanded Home Minister Amit Shah resign, labeling the incident a "massacre". Wangchuk later explained his comparison, noting a weeks‑long internet blackout after the killings and sharing a video of police action during his 14‑day hunger strike last year. He highlighted that in a town of about 20,000 people, four were killed brutally, one died by suicide, 80 were injured and 75 arrested on charges such as attempted murder, all without formal firing orders. The violence halted talks between the Ministry of Home Affairs and local representatives. Wangchuk is currently booked under the National Security Act and spent six months in Jodhpur jail for allegedly inciting the protests. His comments came days after the Centre proposed a new constitutional provision under Article 371(K) to give Ladakh extra protections, discussed in a recent sub‑committee meeting. This week Lieutenant Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena announced the withdrawal of criminal cases against 20 of the 87 people booked after the 2023 unrest, a key demand of local dialogue groups.