SRINAGAR: The Central Tibetan Administration has rejected Ladakh climate activist and Leh Apex Body (LAB) leader Sonam Wangchuk’s comparison of events in Leh last year with the situation in Tibet as “misplaced and inaccurate” saying Tibetans continue to face repression under Chinese rule while Wangchuk has defended the context of his remarks and apologised for causing hurt.
Tenzin Lekshay, official spokesperson of Central Tibetan Administration, said in a statement that the Central Tibetan Administration expresses deep concern over remarks made by Sonam Wangchuk in his recent public speech in Ladakh in which he compared the situation in Ladakh with that of inside Tibet.
“Today they are committing such oppression in Ladakh, which China is not committing in Tibet. You can see today people are frightened and scared,” Wangchuk had told a gathering in Leh yesterday while commemorating the first anniversary of September 24, 2025 violence in Leh.
Wangchuk had compared the Leh violence last year with the situation in Tibet.
On September 24, 2025, four persons were killed and more than 40 injured in police firing on protests for statehood and 6th Schedule in Leh.
CTA spokesperson said it considers such a comparison misplaced and inaccurate.
“His (Wangchuk’s) statement doesn't reflect the real situation inside Tibet. Tibet continues to remain under China's authoritarian rule, where Tibetans face systematic repression of their fundamental rights, religious freedom; and intensification of measures aimed at erasing its distinct cultural identity,” the CTA spokesperson said.
Wangchuk in a post on X said, “Some people have asked me if it’s appropriate to compare the September 24th brutal killings in Leh last year with Chinese repression in Tibet! “
“I don’t blame them for they don’t know what happened that day in Leh as there was a total internet blackout for weeks. I understand the sufferings of Tibetan friends & have always opposed Chinese repression, but if you had seen what people in Leh went through on that unfortunate day, you might not disagree,” he said.
The climate activist said although Ladakh has always been happy and prosperous in India, the last six years have been different & last year was the worst.
He said in a small town of 20,000 people, four people were killed brutally, one committed suicide, 80 were injured and 75 arrested with charges like attempt to murder”. And it was all done without any firing orders in what's believed to be a stage managed violence.”
“While in Delhi the parliament came to a halt demanding Amit Shah's resignation for use of pallet guns and lathi charge at Jantar Mantar... Shouldn't he resign for this?,” Wangchuk said.
“You can watch this clip of police brutality on people sitting on peaceful hunger strike. Rest I leave it to viewers to decide,” he said.
In another post on X, Wangchuk said, “I see many of our Tibetan friends are disturbed by this comparison”.
“First of all I was only comparing a specific incident on a particular day and of course not with decades of sufferings that Tibetan people have gone through. Secondly I have no intentions whatsoever to cause any hurt to anyone least my dear Tibetan friends. I only wanted to show the gravity of what Leh Ladakh went through on that particular day... and if that has hurt anyone, I deeply apologise from the core of my heart.”