Human Rights Update 1996

On 14 May 1995, His Holiness The Dalai Lama announced the discovery of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, a six year old boy from Lhari in Nagchu, northeastern Tibet, as the 11th reincarnation of the Panchen Lama, Tibet’s second highest spiritual figure. Gedhun Choekyi Nyima is believed to have seen escorted to Beijing by Chinese security forces from his home within days…

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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…

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In April 1996, the government of the PRC launched the nation-wide “Strike Hard” or “Crack Down Severely On Crimes” campaign (Chinese: Yan Da), targeted at crushing corruption and crime. Within Tibet Chinese authorities have focused on the so-called “splittists” – individuals who support Tibetan independence and the leadership of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Implementation of sub-campaigns such as the…

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In July 1996, Dorjee (Family name; Khangtsiri), a 66 year-old man of Tse-Gorthang, 124 km south-west of Chabcha Dzong in Amdo (ch: Qinghai Province), died after he was beaten up by members of the people’s Armed Police and the public Security Bureau. The authorities who visited the town raided all of the houses and imposed fines on those Tibetans in…

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In 1996, TCHRD recorded three Known cases of deaths in custody in Tibet tortured by prison Officials On 6 May 1996, 19-year-old Sangye Tenphel (lay Name: Gonpo Dorjee) died due to torture whilst in Drapchi Prison. He was a monk of Khangmar Monastery in Djamshung, 162 north-west of Lhasa. Sangye Tenphel was severly beated up with an eletric baton and…

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Four student monks of Nga-rig Kyetse-ling school (English translation: Flourishing Garden of Five Knowledges) at Kumbum Monastery in Amdo region have disappeared since their arrest in mid-March 1996. The monks had been arrested along with 21 other student monks ot the monastery who were later released in early May 1996. The four monks — 27-year-old Dhamchoe Gyatso, editor of the…

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This Special end-of-year issue of the Human Rights Update reviews the grave human rights violations which continued in occupied Tibet throughout 1996 as political arrests, or torture, deaths in custody and religious crackdowns were carried out by the authorities of the Peoples Republic of China with renewed vigour.

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Lhundup Ganden, a Sera monk who recently escaped to India, visited the township of Nyagra under Lhasa City  Municipal Bureau in June 1996. Except for one semi-nomadic unit, the rest of the units are inhabited by peasants. The following is a report of the sterilization policy he witnessed there. Lhundup  explained that birth control policy is carried out in the…

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Lhundup Ganden (layname-Tashi or Tashi Gyatso, also known as Ganden Tashi), born in 1968, is a 28 year old former Ganden monk. He arrived in Dharamshala, India, on 18 December 1996 and spoke with TCHRD the following day. On 5 March 1988, Lhundup Ganden and other Ganden monks were arrested for demonstrating and demanding the release of a Youlo Dawa…

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First detained in 1987 for peaceful demonstrations, Ngawang Phulchung has relentlessly championed the education of Tibetan people regarding their human rights and democratic freedoms. The publishing of a complete Tibetan translation of the Universal declaration of Human Rights and the reporting of human rights violations within Tibet resulted in a 19-year sentence which he is presently serving. Ngawang Phulchung joined…

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