January – Nine Monks of Palgon Chorten arrested in January for burning photos of Gyalstsen Norbu, the Chinese appointed Panchen Lama rival. One monk and one layperson arrested in Shigatse on Jan. 18. 1996 “communicating with the Dalai Lama regarding the Panchen Lama reincarnation issue’.
March – Jigme Gyatso (also known as Gangya Jigme), a 3-year-old Amdo Businessman, and Jamyang Tsultrim (layname – Tashi Tsering), a 27-year-old Amdo monk arrested in Lhasa in March for distributing leaflets demanding independence. They are reported to be in Sangyip (“TAR’s Prison No. 3)
25 student monks arrested from “Nga-rig Kye-tsel-Ling” school at Kumbum Monastery, Amdo, in March of this year. 21 of the monks were released on 5 May 1996, however Dhamchoe Gyatso(27), Jigme Tendar (29), Dhamchoe Kalden (31) and Phuntsok (25) are believed to still be in detention. The monks were arrested for pasting wall posters and leaflets and for producing a literature magazine which was banned.
May – Between 85 and 90 monks of Ganden Monastery werearrested for protesting the ban on the possession of display of pictures of the Dalai Lama
May/June – Bhu hung, a 25-30-year-old teacher at Gyangtse PrimarySchool was arrested for printing and distributing long life prayers for Gendun Choekyi Nyima ( the child recognised by His Holiness the Dalai Lama as the 11th reincarnation of the Panchen Lama) composed by the Dalai lama. Bhu Chung was detained at Dun-Chog Dre Detention Centre, Gyangtse.
June – Lobsang Jamyang, a 50-year-old monk of Kirti Monastery from Thawa village and Gonpo, a 43-year-old Layperson, were arrested in Amdo ngaba for pasting wall posters and distributing pamphlets calling for independence. Wooden printing blocks inscribed with “Tibetan Independence” were found in Gonpo’s house.
Four nuns of Lhasa Tsang Khung Nunnery were arrested on 13 or 14 June. Namdol Choesang (16) from Toelung; Phuntsok (18) fromPhenpo; Yangdrol(18) from Phenpo and Pema (16) from Kongpo. They were arrested for demonstrating in the Bharkor area, raising slogans of “Free Tibet” and detained in Drapchi Prison.
July – Four nuns of Chubsang Nunnery were arrested on 1 July. Phuntsok Youdron (20) from Meldro Gongkar; Thinley Yangkyi (18) from Rading; Nyida Wangmo (17) from Lhoka and a fouth unnamed nun were arrested for demonstration in the Bharkor area of Lhasa.
Four more nuns of Chubsang Nunnery were arrested the follwing day on 2 July. Jamphel (22) and Lobsang Choedon (17), both from Taktse; Tsering Lhamo (20) from Rading and a fouth umknown nun were arrested for demonstrating in the Bharkor area.
Seven monks of Karz Monastery were arrested in uly for ditributing “Free Tibet” pamplets. Two of the monks- Pasang (32) and Togyal (20) are from Yokzok village in Karze. Five of the arrested monks released after a week.
Lama Jigme Sangpo of Golok Sethar Nubsur Monastery was arrested on 5 July for pasting wall posters calling for “Free Tibet”. On 6 July eight nuns of Garu Nunnery, north of Lhasa, were arrested by PSB (Public Security Bureau) and PAP (People’s Armed Police) offcials who beat up the nuns before taking them to prison. The nuns were arrested for staging an independence demonstration coinciding with the 61st birth anniversary of the Dalai Lama,in front of the Jokhang temple in Lhasa.
Four more monks of Sera Monastery were arrested at some time in July. Lobsang Nyima ( layname : Migmar Yugyal), aged 40 from Tsang Rinpung; Bhu Tsering (30) from Phenpo; Lobsang Samten (25) from Meldo Gongkar and Tashi Pheldar, the caretaker at Sera, were arrested for protesting against the Work Inspection Team’s campaign of “patriotic education”
Five people (three monks and two lay people) were arrested at Sera Monsatery on 18 July. Lobsang Sherap (lay name: Norbu), the caretaker; Ngawang Woser (layname: Buchung) from toelung; Kalsang (33) from Nyemo; and a boy and a girl working as printers at the monsatery (names not known), were arrested for pasting wall posters with slogans of ” Free Tibet, “Denial of religious freedom and “Human Rights in Tibet”
August – Yungdrung, a 24 or 25-year-old Tibetan artist was detained in Gutsa for 58 days and later found in a traumatised conditon in a public toilet in the Bharkor, Lhasa on October 27. Yungdrung was arrested in connection with his portraits of the Dalai Lam and the Tibetan national flag and, after being severely tortured in prison, is presumed to have been released on 27 October, the same day he was found.
On 23 August, Gendun Gyaltsen, a monk from Sakya Monsatery was arrested for possession of pictures and cassette tapes of the Dalai Lama in his room. He was released after a week of detention and expelled from the monastery.
Three Tibetans in Chamdo region were arrested for “counter-revolutionary activities” on 25 August. A Lhasa Radio broadcast of 6 October mentioned the arrest of 164 “criminals” (a term which is also used to describe political activists or “splittists”) in Chamdo region, however we have included only 3 cases as it is not clear whether the other were arrested in connection with political activity.
Aug/Oct – The arrest of 13 monks of Drepung Monsatery occured sometime between August and October. Yeshi Jangchub (23), Ngawang Sangpo (30) and Gyaltsen Yeshi (20), all from Meldro Gongkar county; Ngawang tharchin (25) and Ngawang Lhundrup from Dhamshung county; Ngawang shakya and Jamphel Wangchugfrom rinpung county; Phuntsok Tashi, Phuntsok Jamdhen and Ngawng Gyatso (340 from Phenpo Lhundrup county; Thinley Kalden from Chushul county; Ngawang Thupwang from Lhoka Danang cunty and Ngawang Choegyal from Kham ( Eastern Tibet) were arrested during the “re-education” campaign of the Chines “Work InspectionTeam”. the monks were arrested for disagreeing with the work Inspection Team in particular for refusing to denounce the Dalai Lama and for pasting wall posters calling for a “Free-Tibet”.
September – Tenchok Tenphel, a 27-year-old monk of Sakya Monastery, was arrested at a political re-education session on 1 September. He died two weeks later on 14 September in the Sakya Detention Centre due to torture. The cause of death was given as “suicide”
November – Six monks of Sera Monastery arested for disagreeing with the “Work Inspection Team” stationed in the Monastery.
Nov/Dec – Lhundrup Palden, a monk of Ganden Choekar Monsatery in Ringon, Namling county, 50 km north-east of Shigatse, and two of his students were arrested for distributing long prayers for Gendun Choekyi Nyima composed by the Dalai Lama.