 report by Human Rights watch, new evidence was found surrounding mass DNA collection in Tibet. 

Increased enforcement in Tibet by Chinese officials includes random DNA collecting from locals. People can't refuse to give their DNA away, and the police don't need to have solid proof of any illegal activity for them to collect it.

The Chinese government is taking DNA samples from everyone living in any of the TAR's (Tibet Autonomous Region) seven  municipalities, including transients, without providing any information about the circumstances under which they might object.

14 DNA collection drives have been found by Human Rights Watch in the TAR, indicating that drives are now taking place or are scheduled to take place all across the area. The drives are being held to increase verification efficiency and aid in the capture of evading individuals.

According to researchers outside of China, bulk DNA collecting started in the TAR in 2013, based off official reports about a major health-check program. Since the beginning of the 2010s, police in other parts of China have also begun collecting DNA, but the program has only targeted particular communities or specific men in general.

A human rights violation occurs when someone is forced to submit blood samples or when blood is taken without the subject's informed, meaningful, and free consent.

DNA information is extremely sensitive and, if obtained without consent, can be used for a variety of wrongdoings. The acquisition of DNA data by the Chinese government constitutes a grave violation of one's right to privacy.

Police in Chamdo Municipality and Ngari Prefecture gathered fingerprints and DNA samples from the entire populace between May 2019 and May 2020. 

It was also reported that in the Chamdo municipality, police obtained DNA samples from every member of the community (1,500), in order to apprehend 26 fugitives.

There are many more examples of other towns and whole municipalities being affected. Human Rights Watch accessed official records that describe DNA collecting campaigns in Tibetan communities outside the TAR. 

Several stories claim that kids as young as five participated in DNA collection efforts, despite the fact that the minimum age requirement is 16 years of age. On top of that, the papers don't offer any proof that the kids or the people who looked after them gave their permission.

In Nyemo county, Lhasa municipality, police took DNA samples from kindergarten pupils in 2022. They did this with the help of the school's teachers and students.

There were many more reports of DNA being obtained from children. The privacy of children is at danger as a result of the collecting, processing, and use of genetic data. Crime detection, which is how the authorities want to use this information, doesn't seem to be a valid, reasonable goal that is in the child's best interests.

Prior to 2019, police in TAR took DNA samples from particular segments of the population. Since 2019, mass DNA collection has greatly increased.

In the TAR and Xinjiang, where DNA collection is common, the authorities see a pressing need to improve data acquisition and monitoring capabilities at the local level.

The information, according to the authorities, is used to enhance service delivery, such as by warning residents about online fraud or compiling a list of elderly persons in need of assistance.

It's reported that authorities try to discourage locals from bringing their complaints to higher-ups by increasing police presence locally and adopting the practice of household inspections.

With the excuse of fighting internet fraud, full-time auxiliary staff are stationed in villages across the region. However, researchers from other monitoring organizations have revealed that local police routinely check cell phones for content that is prohibited, including text and photographs.

Authorities increased policing in the TAR region under the "social management" strategy, frequently in the name of "grassroots governance" or better service delivery. In urban communities, "grid management" and other digitally assisted methods of neighborhood surveillance and preventive policing were routinely implemented starting in May 2012.

In order to support "grassroots governance" and the "rule of law," the authorities have increased police presence and activity in rural areas, and have targeted social organizations and activists as "underworld forces."

China's DNA Databases in Tibet

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