Concerns grow as China resorts to censorship, AI images of Tibet flash floods

New York: Human Rights Watch (HRW), a US-based advocacy group, accused China of resorting to censorship and tighter controls on information amid deadly flash floods that have left people in Nepal and across the border in Tibet reeling from devastation.

According to HRW, the Chinese social media platform Weibo, which operates under Beijing’s censorship demands, prominently pinned a memorial hashtag — ‘Mourning the victims of the Gyirong mudslide disaster’ — at the top of its trending topics, alongside eight other disaster-related hashtags.

The lead post featured a China Central Television (CCTV) news anchor essentially reading out a Politburo communique, in which Chinese President Xi Jinping reportedly called on China’s top leaders to observe a minute of silence for the victims.

“The victims’ own voices are largely absent from the trending topics, which focus on the death toll, rescue operations, and the mechanics of the disaster,” the rights body noted.

Citing reports, the HRW said that journalists in China have been barred from the disaster zone and from interviewing families, leaving them dependent on official information narratives. It alleged that Chinese authorities have also punished at least 10 people for “rumormongering” related to the disaster.

The rights body further said that Chinese official media relied on AI-generated images and videos purporting to show the likely origins of the mudslide. Referring to international media, it said the full original footage circulated globally — showing Gyirong Port on the Chinese side of the border being overwhelmed by floodwater as people run for their lives — was being censored.

Highlighting the censorship surrounding the deadly floods in the Tibetan region, the HRW said, “Information controls can make it harder for families to locate loved ones, and hamper understanding of the disaster and any future response. Authorities also tightly control freedoms of association and assembly. As with previous disasters, the choreography is familiar: restrict information, control the narrative, and praise the leadership’s resolve and rescue efforts. AI may polish the performance, but the script remains unchanged.”

The HRW said it has long documented pervasive censorship and self-censorship across China, particularly in Tibetan areas. It noted that people can be imprisoned for allegedly undermining national security simply by sharing information with the outside world, while foreigners, including journalists and independent investigators, are barred from entering Tibet without permission.

The massive flood that struck Nepal’s Rasuwa originated in the Tibetan region of China on August 26. It swept through the transboundary Bhote Koshi River, leaving hundreds dead and causing massive destruction in the Himalayan nation.

IANS