For decades, the towering Boudhanath stupa in Kathmandu symbolized refuge for Tibetans escaping repression in China. Today, that sanctuary is increasingly overshadowed by an expanding web of Chinese surveillance cameras that monitor streets, temples and neighborhoods — quietly reshaping life for Tibetan refugees in Nepal.
Thousands of Chinese-made CCTV cameras now blanket Kathmandu, part of a broader global export of surveillance systems by Beijing-backed firms. These tools, deployed in more than 150 countries, are marketed as affordable crime-fighting solutions but are increasingly used to suppress dissent. In Nepal, they have coincided with the near disappearance of the once-visible Free Tibet movement.
An Associated Press investigation found that much of the technology powering China’s surveillance empire is rooted in innovations developed in the United States. For years, American firms shared technology in exchange for access to China’s vast market — a tradeoff that helped Chinese companies master, replicate and eventually export advanced monitoring systems worldwide.
Despite rising geopolitical tensions, ties persist. Amazon Web Services continues to provide cloud services to Chinese surveillance giants Hikvision and Dahua, both sanctioned by the U.S. over security and human rights concerns. While AWS and the Chinese firms say they follow legal and ethical standards, critics argue the support enables authoritarian practices abroad.
In Nepal, surveillance has contributed to a dramatic decline in Tibetan refugees. Once numbering in the tens of thousands, their population has dropped by half or more. Officials from the Tibetan government-in-exile cite sealed borders, closer China-Nepal relations and unprecedented monitoring as key factors.
Leaked Nepali government documents reviewed by AP show Chinese-built surveillance systems operating even in sensitive border buffer zones. China denies coercion or wrongdoing, calling such claims politically motivated.
Former Tibetan activists describe a climate of fear, with predictive policing used to detain suspected protesters ahead of sensitive anniversaries. Cameras equipped with facial recognition and AI tracking allow authorities to follow individuals in real time, discouraging public expressions of Tibetan identity.
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Chinese firms such as Hikvision, Dahua, Uniview and Hytera dominate Nepal’s surveillance infrastructure, often through donations or low-cost packages that include hardware, software and police training. Much of this expansion traces back to technology transfers involving U.S. companies like HP, Motorola, Intel, Nvidia and IBM.
Along Nepal’s northern frontier, China has also constructed an extensive border monitoring network of sensors, observation domes and AI-powered systems, effectively sealing off escape routes once used by Tibetan refugees.
For many Tibetans, the response has been silent retreat. Protests have faded, refugee centers stand empty, and families quietly seek ways out.
“People know they are being watched,” said one Tibetan refugee. “Even outside China, it feels like living inside a prison.”
Source: AP