News

A number of Tibetan monasteries in Nagchu (Chinese: Naqu) Prefecture’s Diru County in Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) have been forced to hand over the entire administration and management of the monasteries to groups of cadres sent by the Chinese government.

Around the end of February 2012, the ‘work teams’ with over five members each visited Taklung Monastery and Choelung Monastery and held meetings. At these meetings, the officials decided to transfer all rights and authority of the monasteries to the Chinese government, sources told TCHRD. The ‘work teams’ also documented details of the monasteries’ assets including all antique pieces and ordered the monastery officials not to make any transaction without official approval.

Three Tibetans, a 32-yr-old widowed mother of four and two teenagers, died of self-immolation in separate incidents as China convened its annual sessions of National People’s Congress (NPC) and Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).
On 5 March 2012, the day the fifth session of 11th NPC opened, 18-yr-old Dorjee set himself on fire at around 6.30 pm (Tibet Time) near a government office in Cha (Chinese: Jia) Township, Ngaba (Chinese: Aba) County, Ngaba Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province. Dorjee’s flaming body was seen walking towards the office building as he shouted protest slogans against the Chinese government, according to sources. He died on the spot. Security officers later took away the body despite opposition from the local Tibetans.

Beginning October 2011, the ‘work teams’ instituted by the Chinese authorities have launched campaigns such as ‘Nine Must-Haves’ and ‘Harmonious Model Monastery’ in Tibet. Monks and nuns are arrested for not complying with the restrictive activities organized by the work teams. This heightened religious repression has forced many monks and nuns to flee into nearby mountains and forests leading to the closure of monasteries in Tibet.

In Diru (Ch: Biru) County in Nagchu (Ch: Naqu) Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), work teams visited about 22 monasteries and conducted ‘patriotic re-education’ classes. Feeling harassed and traumatized by the relentless ‘education’ sessions, many monks and nuns left their respective monasteries, according to sources. Monasteries like the Pekar Monastery in Diru County have been closed. After Bekar’s closure, local Tibetans reportedly took a dead body to the township office complaining to the authorities that there were no monks to perform religious rites for the deceased and urged the local authorities to reopen the monastery and to let the monks return.

On 19 February 2012, yet another Tibetan teenager set himself ablaze and reportedly died protesting against the Chinese government, in Barma Village, Dzamthang County, Ngaba Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture.

Nangdrol,18 years old, set himself on fire at around 2 pm (local time) in front of the Dzamthang Jonang Monastery last Sunday, according to sources. He died on the spot.

A former monk disciplinarian at Bongtak Monastery has died of self-immolation in Tso-ngon (Ch: Qinghai) Province.

On 17 February 2012 at around 6 a.m (Tibet Time) Damchoe Sangpo, a monk from Themchen County of the Tsonub (Ch: Haixi) and Mongol Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province, set himself on fire. Sources say he died shortly afterwards.

Damchoe Sangpo, aged around 40, was a monk from Bongtak Monastery, also called Bongtak Ewam Tare Shedrup Dhargey Ling Monastery. He had objected to police intrusion in the monastery’s religious activities and had requested the officers to leave the monastery. It is said that he had also warned the officers that if any issue arises in the future, the Chinese government will be responsible.

Jigme, also known as Jigme Gyatso, the intrepid monk from Labrang Monastery who exposed Chinese brutality to the outside world might be sentenced soon, according to information received by TCHRD.

It is learnt that on 1 January 2012 at around 3 pm (Tibet Time), the Kanlho Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture issued a procuratorate-approved arrest warrant for Jigme. The warrant states that Jigme is charged with engaging in activities aimed at splitting the country. The warrant (written in Chinese) further notes that Jigme is currently held in the Public Security Bureau detention Centre in Tsoe (Chinese: Hezuo) city.

As the Chinese authorities continue to ban access to journalists attempting to report on the situation inside Tibet, a global annual census on imprisoned journalists conducted by a leading international NGO promoting press freedom reveals that 10 out of 27 known journalists imprisoned in China are Tibetans. Six are Uyghurs.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) in its December 2011 Prison Census on China said that Tibetans and Uyghurs form the bulk of journalists jailed in China, adding this unfortunate trend dates back to the widespread 2008 and 2009 protests in Tibet and East Turkestan (Chinese: Xinjiang) respectively. 

On 13 February at about 2.30 pm (Tibet Time), 19-year-old Lobsang Gyatso set himself on fire at the main street of Ngaba town shouting slogans of protest against the Chinese government.

Immediately, officers from the People’s Armed Police and Public Security Bureau arrived on the scene and extinguished the fire, according to sources. The police officers continued beating the burnt monk as they took him away.

Lobsang Gyatso’s current condition and whereabouts remain unknown.

Chinese-government owned news agency Xinhua today confirmed the death of nun Tenzin Choedon after her self-immolation protest in Ngaba (Ch: Aba) County on 11 February 2012.

The Xinhua report said the Tibetan nun self-immolated at a place 5 kms away from Ngaba County. It further said she died on the way to hospital. The report identified the nun as 19- year old Tenzin Choedon, born in “Ri-a-luo” village (Tibetan Reruwa), “Jialuo” Township, Ngaba County.

A Chinese government-owned newspaper has reported that the security forces shot dead two Tibetan brothers on 9 February 2012 in Drango (Ch: Luhuo) County, Kardze (Ch: Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province.

The brothers’ death by gunshots was extensively reported earlier by exile Tibetan sources. However, the 11 February 2012 report in the Ganzi Daily News is the first confirmation of the case.

The report said Tibetan monk Yeshe Rigsal, aged 40 and his wounded brother Yeshe Samdrub, aged 38 were shot dead by the security forces.