News – Page 53

18/02/2013 News

Monk escapes Tibet after friend dies of self-immolation protest

Jigme Gyaltsen, 21, was a monk at Rongwo Monastery in Rebkong (Ch: Tongren) County in Malho (Ch: Huangnan) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province. He joined Rebkong Monastery at 14. He was born in Kangtsa Village in Yadzi (Ch: Xunhua) County in Tsoshar (Ch: Haidong) Prefecture, Qinghai Province. Jigme Gyaltsen fled Tibet so that he could continue his religious studies in India, and to share the story of his friend and roommate Jamyang Palden, who passed away on 16 September 2012, six months after his self-immolation protest. Jigme Gyaltsen escaped Tibet in September 2012, travelling for one month and 22 days to reach India on 26 December 2012. He speaks to TCHRD:

“On 9 March 2012, Jamyang Palden, my roommate at Rongwo Monastery, set himself ablaze at Dolma Square near our monastery. Minutes after the self-immolation, monks took Jamyang Palden to a secure place in the monastery so that he would not get into the hands of the Chinese police. He was treated at the monastery for some months getting injections on his foot every month. There was not much hope for his survival as most of his body had burnt beyond treatment. Monks took turns to take care of him. He could not talk much and his voice was low. He could not eat much, just some diluted Tsampa porridge and kept saying, ‘My wishes are not fulfilled.’

14/02/2013 News

Kirti Monastery monk dies of self-immolation protest in Ngaba

According to confirmed information received by TCHRD, on 2 February, at around 6 am, a monk named Lobsang Namgyal, 37, from Kirti Monastery in Ngaba (Ch: Aba) County committed self-immolation near the Public Security Bureau office in Dzoege (Ch: Ru’ergai) County in Ngaba Prefecture, Sichuan Province, in the Tibetan province of Amdo.

The monk, who died on the spot, was seen with running towards the police station, his body in flames, shouting slogans such as ‘May the Dalai Lama live for tens of thousands of years,’ sources told TCHRD.

Lobsang Namgyal 01 — Lobsang Namgyal in an undated photograph

Later, the Chinese police found a bag on the site of self-immolation, in which they found the monk’s identity card and a letter, which confirmed the identity of the monk as Lobsang Namgyal hailing from Kirti Monastery.

13/02/2013 News

Tibetans ordered to celebrate festival or face punishment

As Tibetans in Tibet mourn the loss of lives in self-immolation protests by observing a quiet Losar (Tibetan New Year), the Chinese authorities are ordering Tibetans to celebrate the festival by announcing huge rewards, and punishments for those who disobey the order.

According to information received by TCHRD, days prior to Losar, which began 11 February, Chinese officials in Tsolho (Ch: Hainan) Prefecture, Qinghai Province, were seen visiting Tibetan villages in the area, ordering the Tibetans to celebrate the New Year.

Officials announced that villagers would be rewarded handsomely if they celebrate the New Year. They warned that those Tibetans who did not celebrate would be deprived of financial help for farming and animal husbandry.

08/02/2013 News

Anti self-immolation propaganda now part of China’s ‘patriotic education’ campaign

After engaging in severe and systematic crackdown on self-immolation protests last year, the Chinese government has now stepped up the ante on propaganda offensive by conducting ‘patriotic education’ campaigns heavily centred on anti self-immolation messages and distribution of campaign paraphernalia such as documents, pamphlets, books, and animated posters exhorting the Tibetans both in pictures and words, the criminal consequences such as arrests, detention, and heavy prison terms including suspended death sentence.

According to information received by TCHRD, the Chinese government has published a document, targeted at Tibetans, that explains the legal consequences under Chinese Criminal Law for anyone charged of inciting, instigating or abetting self-immolations. The document, probably a booklet, dated January 2013, is titled “Cherish Life, Abide by Law.”

05/02/2013 News

Painful death for Tibetan man injured in police violence

A Tibetan man died a slow and agonising death, almost eight months after he was injured in a violent police crackdown on a protest staged by both lay and local Tibetans in March last year.

According to information received by TCHRD, Gyerig Thar, 35, succumbed to his injuries on 17 November 2012 at a hospital in Siling (Ch: Xining), capital of Qinghai Province. After sustaining serious injuries on his head during the police clampdown on the protest, Geyrig Thar spent the next eight months in the hospital unable to utter a single word. Sources said an explosive burst on his head causing serious injuries to his head. He was referred to some other bigger hospitals where he had to undergo three surgeries on his brain, but hopes for his survival remained weak among his family members even as he was receiving treatment. Sources say he was too weak to consume or retain his food or medicine in his body.

04/02/2013 News

Buddhist scholar serving 20-yr sentence remain ‘missing’ for four years

Venerable Kunchok Nyima is a well-respected Buddhist scholar at Drepung Monastic University. In April 2008, he was detained on charges of being the ‘ring leader’ and the main instigator of protests that rocked Lhasa in March of that year. For the next two years, he remained ‘disappeared’ and no one knew where he was detained.

In June 2010, some Chinese government officials made an announcement at Drepung Monastery, admitting for the first time that they were holding Ven. Nyima who the officials said was sentenced for 20 years in prison on charges of ‘inciting’ and ‘abetting’ protests among Drepung monks.

Around 2009, a group of officials visited Ven. Nyima’s family in Thewo and showed them a CD recording that purportedly contained a message from Ven. Nyima. In the film, Ven. Nyima told his family that he was well and friendly with his prison guards and soldiers. He also told his family not to worry about him and asked his brother and sister to take care of his parents. But the authenticity of the video CD cannot be established so far.

04/02/2013 News

Labrang monk Jayang Jinpa reflects on his daring 2008 protest

Jayang Jinpa, 26, was among the 15 Tibetan monks who staged a daring protest in front of a group of international and Chinese journalists at Labrang Tashikyil Monastery in Sangchu County. On 9 April 2008, monks of Labrang Monastery interrupted the Chinese government-organized media visit that was carefully planned to show that Tibet was stable and that monks enjoyed freedom of religion and other human rights. The protest lasted for about 10 minutes but was quickly suppressed. And over a year, he spent time in the mountains trying to escape arrest. Jayang Jinpa who now lives in India tells his story (The following is a direct translation of Jayang Jinpa’s personal notes.)

I was born in December 1986 in Sangkhog Village in Sangchu (Ch: Xiahe) County, located in Kanlho (Ch: Gannan) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu Province.

It is a nomadic village. My family is called Rilatsang. My father’s name is Choepa and mother’s name is Lhaye. I have four siblings – two older sisters and two younger ones. I will never forget the love and affection I have received in our family and the nomadic life that we lived.

04/02/2013 News

China detains uncle of Tibetan self-immolator in Rebkong

Amid news of heightened restrictions and increased detention, an uncle of Dorjee Lhundup, a Tibetan farmer who set his body on fire in protest against the Chinese government, was detained recently in Rebkong (Ch: Tongren) County in Malho (Ch: Huangnan) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province.

According sources with contacts in the region, Yarphel, 42, uncle of Dorjee Lhundup, a farmer in his 20s, was detained on the morning of 2 February. Yarphel, a monk at Yershong Monastery, was detained along with fellow monk, Rabyang. Both were taken to the local police station and interrogated for long hours.

01/02/2013 News

Six Tibetans sentenced up to 12 yrs over self-immolation

A Chinese court has given heavy prison terms to six Tibetans “for their roles in an October self-immolation case,” reported the Chinese government-owned news agency Xinhua on 31 January.

On 23 October 2012, a Tibetan farmer, Dorjee Rinchen, 58, died after setting his body on fire in protest against Chinese rule at Gyugya market on the main street of Sangchu county, which was located near a Chinese military camp. After the self-immolation protest, his body was taken to his home village Zayu in Sangchu. This was done to protect him from getting into the hands of Chinese officers. His family members were able to conduct necessary rites and rituals after his death. Security officers even tried to stop the Labrang monks from going to Dorjee Rinchen’s home for prayers.

01/02/2013 News

Tibetans sentenced for ‘murder’ at show trial to discredit self-immolation protests

In the backdrop of relentless crackdown on self-immolation protests including arbitrary arrests, detention, intimidation, monetary inducements and long prison terms, the Chinese authorities have sentenced two Tibetans on “intentional homicide” charges, one was given suspended death sentence while the other received 10-yr prison term for “inciting” and “coercing” eight people to self-immolate, out of which three died. The five others did not self-immolate after they changed their minds or due to police intervention, so goes the account published in official Chinese newspapers.

On 31 January, the Intermediate People’s Court of Ngaba (Ch: Aba) Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture handed Lobsang Kunchok, 40, with death penalty with two years’ reprieve and deprivation of political rights for life. His nephew, Lobsang Tsering, 31, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, with his political rights deprived for three years, according to the Chinese government-owned news agency Xinhua.

29/01/2013 News

Crackdown on satellite dishes, broadcast equipment deepens in Tibet

Chinese authorities have now heightened the campaign to eradicate all avenues of receiving Tibet-related radio and TV news available on foreign channels by issuing a public notice, which announced monetary fines and actions for those who fail to surrender banned satellite dishes and other broadcast equipment by 27 January 2013. The notice, dated 24 January 2013, declared Yuan 5,000 fine and “other consequences” for those who use satellite dishes and other equipments to watch programs on foreign channels.

Chinese Communist Party and government officials are said to be vigorously implementing the contents of the notice in Rebkong (Ch: Tongren) County in Malho (Ch: Huangnan) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province. Restriction is said to be severe in Rongwo Monastery, sources told TCHRD.