TCHRD obtain pictures of the 15 monks who staged a peaceful protest in the Barkhor street in Lhasa on 10 March 2008. It has come to light that the 15 monks were joined by two laypersons during the protest. The details of the two could not be ascertained yet. Lhasa reels under tense situation. Drepung and Sera monasteries have been…
In the past few days, since the 10th March Commemoration of the People’s Uprising Movement of Tibet, although information is hard to come by, a few confirmed accounts are trickling out about protests, arrests, detentions and restrictions all around Tibet amidst severe control of information flow. Tibet is said to be increasingly reeling under a tense situation following a recent spate of peaceful protests by monks of three main monasteries in Lhasa that have now rippled across eastern and far north eastern Tibetan areas of Amdo and Kham. The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) has received numerous confirmed reports concerning the recent spate of protests, subsequent arrests and detentions of people having taken place inside Tibet and have compiled a list of protests and subsequent arrests in chronological order as follows
The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) receives the names of four of the protesters who were arrested yesterday from the Barkhor Street in Lhasa. They are identified as 1) Trulku Tenpa Rigsang (a reincarnated lama originally from Golok Lungkar Monastery currently undergoing higher Buddhist studies at the Sera Monastery in Lhasa) 2) Gelek Pel 3) Samten and 4) Thubwang. According to reliable sources there were 16 protesters (14 monks and 2 laypersons) in the group as against earlier media reports of around ten people in the group.
Scores of Tibetans led by monks from Drepung and Sera Monastery were known to have been arrested for staging peaceful pro-Tibet protests in the Tibetan Capital, Lhasa, yesterday coinciding with the 49th anniversary of the 1959 People’s Uprising against Chinese occupation of Tibet, according to confirmed information received by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD).
According to sources within Tibet, about three hundred monks from Drepung Monastery, located on the outskirts of the capital, attempted to start a planned peaceful protest march yesterday towards Barkhor Street, Lhasa. However, they were obstructed from proceeding with their peaceful march by a large number of Chinese armed police before reaching Lhasa. Few monks from the group suspected to be the ringleaders were believed to be arrested by Public Security Bureau (PSB) officials.
The Chinese authorities in Tibet have released a long-serving political prisoner, Thupten Yeshi, upon completion of his 15-year imprisonment term on 5 July 2007, according to confirmed information received by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD).
Thupten Yeshi was arrested on 6 July 1992 on alleged charges of being the main plotter of demonstration by a group of four farmers during a meeting at Gyama Township, Meldrogungkar County, “Tibet Autonomous Region” ‘TA” earlier on 30 June 1992.
The Lhasa Intermediate People’s Court has sentenced Sonam Gyalpo, 44, to twelve years in jail on charges of “endangering state security”, according to confirmed information received by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD). He is currently imprisoned at Chushul (Ch: Qushui) Prison located in the west of Lhasa City.
Prior to the sentencing, which reportedly took place around mid 2006, he was held in detention at Seitru Detention Centre (“TAR” PSB Detention Centre). Sonam’s family appealed to the High Court to reconsider the sentence but to no avail.
A 19-year old Tibetan monk, Thubten Samten, disappeared from his room in Sera Monastery in Tibet. Sources believe that the Chinese police lifted him for alleged political activities.
According to reliable information received by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD), Thubten disappeared on the morning of 23 May 2006, and his whereabouts remain unknown till date.
According to confirmed information received by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD), a lone 23-year-old Tibetan monk staged a short demonstration calling for freedom in Tibet on 3 September 2006 at the busy Barkhor street in Lhasa, “Tibet Autonomous Region” (“TAR”). Within minutes, the Public Security Bureau (PSB) officials and security personnels deployed by the Lhasa Neighbourhood Committee hastily moved him away from the area.
The demonstration which took place in the afternoon around 2.40 p.m.(local time) was witnessed by a large crowd of Tibetans. As of now, neither the identity of the monk nor the location of his detention could be ascertained. It is reported that the monk hails from Nechung Village in Toelung Dechen (Ch: Duiling Deqing) County, “TAR”. He was earlier a monk at the local Takdrak Monastery before being expelled on political grounds from the monastery eight years ago.
According to confirmed information received by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD), a 29-year old Tibetan youth, Dolma Kyab, has been sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment term for writing and maintaining a commentary manuscript about Tibet. He is currently imprisoned at Chushul (Ch: Qushui) Prison, “Tibet Autonomous Region” (“TAR”).
Dolma Kyab a.k.a Lobsang Kelsang Gyatso (pen name) was arrested on 9 March 2005 in Lhasa where he was teaching History at a Middle School. As a passion for writing, he maintained a commentary manuscript written in Chinese titled “Himalaya on Stir” (Chinese: Sao dong de Ximalayashan), which was a compilation of 57 chapters written on various topics about democracy, sovereignty of Tibet, Tibet under communism, colonialism, religion and belief etc. Along side the manuscript, he also began writing another one on the geographical aspects of Tibet, which was comparatively short, yet touched on sensitive topics about the location and number of Chinese military camps in Chinese occupied Tibet etc.
The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) is happy to learn the release of Nyima Choedon, 38 years old, from Drapchi Prison. According to latest update from the U.S based Dui Hua Foundation, Nyima has been released on 26 February 2006. TCHRD has long campaigned for the release of Jigme Tenzin Nyima a.k.a Bangri Chogtrul Rinpoche and Nyima Chodon, a couple running an orphanage in Lhasa, who were wrongly charged for “splitist” activities and convicted in September 2000 to ten years prison term and life sentence respectively. Nyima received sentence reduction on few occasions where as Jigme received a year reduction and is likely to be released on 30 July 2021.
With the release of Nyima Choedon, TCHRD hopes that her husband Jigme Tenzin Nyima would also be released unconditionally soon. Jigme is currently serving his term at the newly operated Chushur Prison in Chushul (Chin: Qushui) County near Nyethang (Chin: Nidang), Lhasa, along a host of other long term serving Tibetan political prisoners. TCHRD requests the international community to maintain pressure on the government of People’s Republic of China to release all the Tibetan political prisoners.
Drepung Monastery in Lhasa, Tibet’s capital is currently under intense restrictions following a crackdown order issued by the “Tibet Autonomous Region” (“TAR”) government authorities on monks sitting on mass silent protest, according to confirmed information received by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD). Reportedly the situation is tense and the monastery under tight control by the Chinese authorities.
Since the first week of October 2005, “work team” officials have been conducting the “patriotic education” campaign in the monastery. During the Campaign, on 23 November 2005, the monks were ordered to sign a document denouncing the Dalai Lama as a “separatist” and to pledge their loyalty to the Chinese government by accepting “Tibet as a part of China”. The monks showed their disagreement to the official directive and refused to sign the document. Among the monks, five showed strong reactions against the document and the officials. They were immediately expelled from the monastery and handed over to the Public Security Bureau (PSB) Detention Centres in their respective places of origin.