{"id":2656563,"date":"2026-09-09T09:18:40","date_gmt":"2026-09-09T13:18:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignchinas-censorship-of-tibet-flooding-proves-again-the-ccp-cant-be-trusted\/"},"modified":"2026-09-09T09:27:50","modified_gmt":"2026-09-09T13:27:50","slug":"utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignchinas-censorship-of-tibet-flooding-proves-again-the-ccp-cant-be-trusted","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/utm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignchinas-censorship-of-tibet-flooding-proves-again-the-ccp-cant-be-trusted\/","title":{"rendered":"China&#8217;s Censorship Of Tibet Flooding Proves Again The CCP Can&#8217;t Be Trusted"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">24<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Futm_sourcerssutm_mediumrssutm_campaignchinas-censorship-of-tibet-flooding-proves-again-the-ccp-cant-be-trusted%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2656563&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>A devastating flash flood occurred over a week ago along the Tibet-Nepal border,caused by ice,rock,and mud slides that led too significant destruction and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/the-view-slams-trump-for-prioritizing-musk-feud-amid-texas-floods\/\" title=\"\u2018The View\u2019 slams Trump for prioritizing Musk feud amid Texas ...s\">numerous missing persons<\/a>. Nepal responded with transparency, allowing international media and officials to provide updates, reporting over 1,259 dead and more than 5,000 missing, including many foreigners. Conversely,China responded with secrecy,censorship,and restricted access to the region,making verification of casualty figures and damage reports challenging. Tibetans face detention if they speak to journalists or post about the disaster. China\u2019s official reports are limited and downplay the disaster\u2019s scale, reminiscent of its handling of crises like COVID-19, where censorship and delayed responses hampered timely aid and global awareness. The pandemic lessons highlight how China&#8217;s suppression of details can cost lives. There are concerns about whether the flood was purely natural or influenced by china&#8217;s infrastructural projects, such as dams in fragile areas prone to earthquakes. China\u2019s consistent focus on control over transparency complicates international disaster response and trust.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>More than one week ago, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/nepal-tibet-flood-deaths-pass-500-thousands-still-missing\/a-78539559\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">flash flood<\/a> of ice, rock, and mud swept through a Himalayan valley on the Tibet-Nepal border. Large sections of riverbank disappeared. The number of deaths continues to grow. Pilgrims, foreign tourists, hydropower workers, and villagers are among the thousands still missing.<\/p>\n<p>After an <a href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2026\/08\/31\/nx-s1-5949971\/nepals-hesitance-help-flood\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">initial hesitation<\/a> about foreign teams, Nepal opened the disaster area. Foreign journalists were allowed in. Officials, the army, and villagers shared updates on destroyed bridges and rising rivers. The disaster authority gives daily updates on the dead and missing. As of Sept. 3, 2026, 1,259 people were <a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/world\/nepal-flood-death-toll-rises-to-1259-over-5000-missing-india-steps-up-rescue-relief-efforts-ws-l-10309129.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">reported<\/a> dead and more than 5,000 missing, including 583 foreigners, about 85 of whom are Americans. More than 12,000 people have been rescued.<\/p>\n<p>In contrast, China responded with secrecy, censorship, and punishment. Tibet was already difficult to access before the flood. Foreign reporters can only visit on government-guided tours. Tibetans risk <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2026\/08\/31\/tibet-flood-victims-have-a-right-to-be-heard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">detention<\/a> for talking to journalists or posting anything that goes against the official story. A BBC correspondent <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/articles\/cx2z415w2gpo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said<\/a> it is often easier to reach sources in North Korea than in Tibet. UN experts and rights groups accuse Beijing of <a href=\"https:\/\/europeantimes.org\/tibets-identity-disappearing-under-chinas-cultural-pogroms\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">forced assimilation<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.state.gov\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/624521_TIBET-2024-HUMAN-RIGHTS-REPORT.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">serious abuses<\/a> in the region.<\/p>\n<p>Since 2009, more than <a href=\"https:\/\/savetibet.org\/why-tibet\/self-immolations-by-tibetans\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">150 Tibetans<\/a> have set themselves on fire to protest Beijing\u2019s rule. On July 2, 2026, Tibetan activist Lobga Rangzen, who lived in exile, died after self-immolating outside the UN headquarters in New York.<\/p>\n<p>After last week\u2019s flood, Beijing increased its censorship in Tibet. Censors <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/how-china-buried-tibet-flood-images-after-nepal-disaster\/a-78576472?utm_source=substack&#038;utm_medium=email\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">removed<\/a> videos and eyewitness posts from Chinese platforms, even from private chats. Most people in China have not seen the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dw.com\/en\/how-china-buried-tibet-flood-images-after-nepal-disaster\/a-78576472\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">footage<\/a> that others have: a crowd running as the gate at Gyirong Port closed.<\/p>\n<p>Beijing does not release daily numbers for the dead, missing, or rescued. Its last official <a href=\"https:\/\/www.globaltimes.cn\/page\/202608\/1369500.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">update<\/a>, on Aug. 29, reported 16 dead and about 546 missing. Tibetan exile groups <a href=\"https:\/\/tibetexpress.net\/missing-uncounted-unseen-the-hidden-toll-of-tibets-floods\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">say<\/a> these numbers are far too low compared to Nepal\u2019s rising count. Foreign journalists cannot verify China\u2019s figures because the government does not allow them into the Tibetan disaster area.<\/p>\n<p>Inside China, the official story is even more limited. State media <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2026\/08\/31\/tibet-flood-victims-have-a-right-to-be-heard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">focuses<\/a> on Communist Party leaders and PLA rescue efforts. Reports rarely show victims, survivors, their families, or images of the destruction, which differs sharply from Nepal\u2019s coverage.<\/p>\n<p>State media and online figures were <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/09\/01\/world\/asia\/china-tibet-floods-nepal-censorship.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">told<\/a> to repeat only the government\u2019s official casualty numbers. Anyone who questions these numbers can face up to 10 days in detention and a 1,000-yuan fine (about $150). By Aug. 31, at least <a href=\"https:\/\/www.globaltimes.cn\/page\/202608\/1369446.shtml\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">10<\/a> people had already been punished for \u201cspreading rumors\u201d and making up \u201cfalse disaster information.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>During a disaster, timely information helps families find missing relatives, lets governments organize rescues, and allows other countries to send aid quickly. When time matters, censorship can cost lives. Yet, time and again, the CCP always relies on censorship, especially in time of crisis.<\/p>\n<p>The party\u2019s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic followed a similar playbook. In early 2020, officials in Wuhan and Beijing hid the truth about person-to-person spread for weeks. They <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2020\/02\/10\/chinese-doctor-arrested-for-alerting-world-about-coronavirus-dies-a-hero\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">detained<\/a> people for \u201cspreading rumors,\u201d <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nationalreview.com\/magazine\/2020\/04\/06\/coronavirus-and-chinas-missing-citizen-journalists\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">harassed<\/a> citizen journalists, removed images of crowded hospitals, and <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/WBYeats1865\/status\/1225271151292604417\">likely<\/a> underreported deaths and infections.<\/p>\n<p>Beijing also <a href=\"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/2020\/02\/11\/who-shouldnt-let-politics-risk-peoples-lives-from-the-coronavirus\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">influenced<\/a> the World Health Organization (WHO) to do its bidding internationally. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus publicly praised Beijing\u2019s response even as human-to-human transmission was downplayed, and the organization helped fight coronavirus \u201crumors\u201d on social media platforms inside and outside China. The WHO did not declare a public-health emergency until Jan. 30. Taiwan, which is close to the mainland and was tracking cases, was excluded from emergency meetings.<\/p>\n<p>An epidemic model later <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41586-020-2293-x\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">estimated<\/a> that if China had acted just one week sooner, cases could have dropped by about 66 percent. Taking action three weeks earlier might have reduced cases by about 95 percent. In other words, had China and the WHO acted sooner with transparency, the rest of the world might have been spared months or even years of disruptions.<\/p>\n<p>Not surprisingly, a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2020\/10\/06\/asia\/china-global-reputation-coronavirus-intl-hnk\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pew<\/a> survey found Xi Jinping\u2019s reputation abroad at a historic low. Many people said they did not trust him to \u201cdo the right thing\u201d in world affairs.<\/p>\n<p>The same trust issue has come up in the Himalayas, as some people in Nepal and India now <a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/world\/we-have-to-learn-the-lesson-nepal-seeks-early-warning-system-from-china-after-flood-kills-500-10298260.html\">wonder<\/a> if China gave Nepal enough advance warning. China is more advanced in technology like artificial intelligence and weather satellites than Nepal. Also, \u201cChina operates hydrological monitoring stations across the Tibetan headwaters, collecting real-time data on river levels and upstream conditions,\u201d according to Indian scholar <a href=\"https:\/\/asia.nikkei.com\/opinion\/nepal-tibet-floods-expose-dangers-of-china-s-himalayan-gamble\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Brahma Chellaney<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Nepal\u2019s science minister, Mahabir Pun, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.news18.com\/world\/we-have-to-learn-the-lesson-nepal-seeks-early-warning-system-from-china-after-flood-kills-500-10298260.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">said<\/a> Kathmandu received no warning from China and now wants a formal early-warning link. Former planning official Govind Raj Pokharel asked why a country with advanced satellites did not spot the collapse and call downstream. Chinese officials responded by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/world\/asia\/close-to-3-000-missing-in-floods-in-nepal-and-china-75f61b42?mod=article_inline\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">insisting<\/a> they made \u201cevery effort to monitor Himalayan terrain for risks and share the information with its neighbor.\u201d Still, China\u2019s censorship means that Nepal cannot independently verify what China knew and when it knew.<\/p>\n<p>Another Covid-19 similarity is that people are already debating what triggered the deadly flood last week. China said it was entirely a natural disaster. Chellaney, however, <a href=\"https:\/\/asia.nikkei.com\/opinion\/nepal-tibet-floods-expose-dangers-of-china-s-himalayan-gamble\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">points out<\/a> that China has built highways, border infrastructure, and hydropower stations, including <a href=\"https:\/\/asia.nikkei.com\/opinion\/china-s-himalayan-mega-dam-is-a-global-threat\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the world\u2019s largest dam<\/a>, in one of the most earthquake-prone regions. Even Chinese geologists have <a href=\"https:\/\/www.scmp.com\/news\/china\/science\/article\/3359873\/active-fault-line-threatens-worlds-biggest-hydropower-project-chinese-geologists-warn\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">warned<\/a> that the ground near the Yarlung Tsangpo dam project has a \u201cloose structure and weak cohesion.\u201d They also said that \u201cafter long-term immersion and under the influence of fault activity and earthquakes, instability of the slopes on both sides of the reservoir area can be extremely easily triggered.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Even though the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) <a href=\"https:\/\/earthquake.usgs.gov\/earthquakes\/eventpage\/us7000tbwb\/executive\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">ruled<\/a> out that any dam failure as the cause for last week\u2019s flash flood, there are increasing concerns that the next flash flood may not be so easy to separate from what China is building, because \u201cthe boundary between natural disaster and human-made catastrophe is blurring in the Himalayas,\u201d says Chellaney.<\/p>\n<p>The CCP\u2019s continued censorship about the flood in Tibet reminds us of something we\u2019ve learned from the pandemic. The CCP cannot be trusted, especially in a crisis, because it always prioritizes power and control over the well-being of its citizens or the global community.<\/p>\n<hr>\n<div>\n<p>      Helen Raleigh, CFA, is an American entrepreneur, writer, and speaker. She&#8217;s a senior contributor at The Federalist. Her writings appear in other national media, including The Wall Street Journal and Fox News.  Helen is the author of several books, including &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Confucius-Never-Said-Helen-Raleigh\/dp\/1499185278\/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&#038;keywords=Helen+Raleigh+Confucius+Never+Said&#038;qid=1606079469&#038;sr=8-1\">Confucius Never Said<\/a>&#8221; and \u201c<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Backlash-How-Chinas-Aggression-Backfired\/dp\/1736008501\/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&#038;qid=1606006113&#038;sr=8-1\">Backlash: How Communist China&#8217;s Aggression Has Backfired<\/a>.&#8221; Her latest book is &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/Not-Outsiders-Americans-political-activism\/dp\/1736008552\">Not Outsiders: Asian Americans\u2019 political activism from the 19th century to today<\/a>.\u201d Follow her on Twitter: @HRaleighspeaks.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Nepal opens flood zone; China restricts info, masks disaster<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":536,"featured_media":2656564,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Screenshot-2026-09-08-at-4.11.37-PM-1024x585.png","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[51019,6371,4501,23073,51324],"class_list":["post-2656563","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-ccp-2","tag-censorship","tag-china","tag-tibet","tag-trust-2"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefederalist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Screenshot-2026-09-08-at-4.11.37-PM-1024x585.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2656563","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/536"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2656563"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2656563\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2656572,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2656563\/revisions\/2656572"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2656564"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2656563"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2656563"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2656563"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}