A Tibetan man was arrested for distributing leaflets at Barkhor Square in Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region. The arrest of Namkha Gyaltsen, aged 25, happened at around 5 pm (Local Time) on 25 January 2012. Sources informed TCHRD that police officers arrested Namkha Gyaltsen near the Nang-tse-shak building at Barkhor as he distributed leaflets that contained slogans for the swift return…
It is now confirmed that Norpa Yonten (aged 49) was indeed shot dead by the security forces during 23 January 2012 Drango County protest.
There is, however, unconfirmed information that more than one Tibetan had died of gunshot wounds.
TCHRD has received further details on the identity of the 36 Tibetans arrested in the protest. Among those arrested, 18 belong to Norpa village in Drango County:
Norpa Sonam, Norpa Soegay, Norpa Lobsang Gonpo, Norpa Dudhul, Norpa Jamyang Sherab, Norpa Wangchen, Norpa Tsering Gyaltsen, Norpa Sangyal Gyatso, Norpa Namgyal Dhondup, Norpa Rinchen Thinlay, Norpa Yeshi Rigsel (aged 40), Norpa Tenpa (aged 26), Norpa Lodoe, Norpa Choeshe (aged 27), Norpa Yeshi Tsering AKA Yetse (aged 54), Norpa Jampa Dhondup (aged 36), Norpa Jamnam (aged 27), and Norpa Youtrug (aged 50).
Two Tibetan men died after security forces opened fire on protesters on 24 January 2012 at Serta County (Ch: Seda) in Kardze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province.
The series of self-immolation protests involving Tibetan monks, nuns, and lay people did not occur in a vacuum. Ever since the 2008 unrest in Tibet, the Chinese government’s control of Tibetan life has become significantly restricted. The self-immolations are symptomatic of the greater plight that Tibetans find themselves in throughout the Tibetan plateau.
These are some of the conclusions drawn in the 2011 Annual Report on Human Rights Situation in Tibet released by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) here today.
Despite the increasing frequency of self-immolations, the Chinese government refuses to admit any responsibility and has instead
increased the level of oppression in Tibet, all the while continuing to violate its international human rights obligations, states the
report.
One Tibetan layman, identified as Yonten, has died of gunshot after security officials clamped down on a protest in Drango County (Ch: Luhuo County) in Kandze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, according to information received by TCHRD today.
The body of Yonten, a resident of Drango County, is being kept at Drango Monastery.
Two abbots along with seven monks of Karma Monastery (Ch: Gama) at Chamdo County in Chamdo Prefecture (Tibet Autonomous Region) were arrested around 29 October 2011, according to information received by TCHRD.
Security officials arrested the abbots, Lodoe Rabsel (40 yrs old) and Namsey Sonam (44 yrs old) after they refused to cooperate with the officials conducting patriotic reeducation campaigns at the monastery. The monks refused to denounce His Holiness the Dalai Lama and consider Tibet part of China as required in the patriotic re-education classes, a source told TCHRD.
Norbu Damdul, who self-immolated on 15 October 2011, passed away on 5 January 2012 in a hospital in Barkham, Ngaba Tibetan Autonomous Region.
A former Kirti monk, Norbu Damdul (aged around 19) was taken away by the Chinese officials after he set himself on fire in Ngaba. Since then, for nearly three months, his whereabouts and information about his medical condition remained unknown.
On 8 January 2012, at around 6AM (Tibet Time), Tong Kyop Monastery’s Lama Soehpa set himself on fire at a street in Dhalang County. Before his self-immolation, he shouted slogans such as Freedom in Tibet, Long Live H.H the Dalai Lama and Return of the Dalai Lama to Tibet. Sadly, he was severely burnt and thus died. In short time, the People’s Armed Police and Public Security Bureau police reached at the scene. They tried to take the body away but could not do so because of the strong protest of the local Tibetans.
The two Tibetans who self-immolated in Ngaba on 6 January 2012, protesting against the Chinese rule, have succumbed to severe burn injuries. The two are identified as Tenyi and Tsultrim. Tenyi died on the same day of the self-immolation (6 January) and Tsultrim on 7 January 2012. Both were around 20 years of age.
Tenyi was from Thawa Goma Township, Ngaba County and Tsultrim belonged to Menpa Tsang (family) in Barma Township, Ngaba County. The two youngsters had set themselves aflame near a hotel, at an intersection in Ngaba County on 6 January 2012.
On 6 January 2012, two more Tibetans have self-immolated in Ngaba County at around 2PM (Tibet local time). A monk and a lay man, with their hands folded in praying gesture, shouted for the long live of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the return of His Holiness to Tibet. Few minutes later, the People’s Armed Police (PAP) and Public Security Bureau (PSB) arrived at the scene. The PAP and PSB policemen extinguished the fire and took the two away to an unknown place.
According to sources, on 6 January 2012, a Tibetan, who is in Gaya for the Kalachakra, confirmed of this sad news after making phone calls to Ngaba.
Writer Kalsang Tsultrim, pen name Gyitsang Takmig, is sentenced to four years term by Kanlho People’s Intermediate Court. This was confirmed when on 30 December 2011 Takmig’s family went to see him at Tsoe City Public Security Bureau (PSB) Detention Centre. On that day, the family was notified of Takmig’s sentence but were not allowed to see him nor were they told to which prison he’ll be sent. His health condition also remains unknown.
Takmig was arrested on 16 December 2010, from Sang-chu County, Kanlho “Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture” (‘TAP’), Gansu Province. The PSB of Tsoe City called him for questioning and after that they detained him.