News – Page 78

03/04/2008 News

Defiant Tibetans hold solidarity prayer march for victims of Chinese crackdown

Upon witnessing massive protests across the Tibetan plateau since 10 March, Tibetan people from all walks of life in Holkha Township, Tsigorthang County (Xinghai Xian) Tsolho “TAP” Qinghai Province staged a peaceful solidarity march and later held a prayer session for those who lost their lives in the recent series of protests in Tibet on 25 March. Following the peace march and prayer session at the township government headquarters, three Tibetans were arbitrarily arrested in an early morning raid in their home by the People’s Armed Police (PAP) and Public Security Bureau (PSB) officials, according to confirmed information received by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD).

With severe restrictions placed on communication lines by the Chinese authorities, further information on the peaceful political dissents are hard to come by, however, a few brave and courageous Tibetans despite being aware of the grave risk have sent first hand information substantiated with pictures. The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) received exclusive fresh pictures depicting peaceful Tibetan solidarity march in Holkha Township on 25 March.

01/04/2008 News

China arrests over 572 monks from Kirti Monastery in two-day raid

From credible information received from multiple sources in Tibet by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD), a total of 572 monks from Ngaba Kirti Monastery were arrested by the Chinese People’s Armed Police (PAP) and Public Security Bureau (PSB) following a two day raid in monks’ residence on 28 and 29 March 2008.

As reported earlier by the Centre, more information on the number of monks arrested following two days of raids in Ngaba Kirti Monastery in Ngaba County (Ch:Aba Xian), Ngaba ” Tibet Autonomous Prefecture” (‘TAP’), Sichuan Province, is surfacing from the area. According to several credible sources, a total of 572 monks including novice as young as ten years old from Kirti Monastery were known to have been arrested in two days’ raid at the monastery by PAP and PSB officials. Before the launch of raids in the monastery on 28 March, hundreds of PAP and PSB reached the monastery, dispersed people, mostly devotees and visitors gathered around the monastery compound, and ordered surrounding shops to be shut down.

27/03/2008 News

Over hundred of monks arrested after a raid in Ngaba Kirti Monastery

After days of unrest and protests in Ngaba County since 15 March, which saw the death of at least 23 Tibetans, arrest and injury of over hundreds, the Chinese People’s Armed Police (PAP) and Public Security Bureau (PSB) forces arrested over a hundred monks from Ngaba Kirti Monastery during a raid of the monastery this afternoon, according to confirmed information received by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD).

Earlier this morning, hundreds of PAP and PSB came to Ngaba Kirti Monastery, dispersed people, mostly devotees, visitors gathered around the monastery compound and ordered surrounding shops to shut down.

26/03/2008 News

Death toll rise to 79, over 1200 arrests and more than 100 disappear in Tibet

The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) has been closely monitoring the situation inside Tibet particularly since 10 March 2008 when the first peaceful protest led by Tibetan Buddhist monks broke up in Lhasa on the 49th anniversary of Tibetan Uprising Day.

For the past more than two weeks, the exact figures on the number of arrest, death, injury or disappeared from the violent crackdowns during protests in various parts of Tibet is difficult to ascertain due to various circumstances such as censorship of information, lack of immediate and on the ground assessment, absence of third party fact finding mission and free media reporting in Chinese administered Tibet. However, TCHRD has been able to filter considerable information based on eyewitnesses accounts, evidences and information given to the Centre by brave and conscious Tibetans inside Tibet. The information available to TCHRD has been reported to various human rights monitoring organisations, media and concerned UN bodies after our meticulous research and verification.

23/03/2008 News

Tibetan MPs and many others join TCHRD’s Solidarity Movement

On 22 March 2008, three members of Tibetan Parliament in exile, Mr. Karma Yeshi, Mr. Sertha Tsultrim and Mr. Dawa Tsering joined TCHRD’s Solidarity Movement launched to end killings, arbitrary arrests, inhumane torture and enforced disappearances in Tibet.

Later, hundreds of other Tibetans joined our movement by voluntarily tonsuring their heads in front of Main Temple gate, Mcleod Ganj, Dharamsala. Our movement is now gaining a huge momentum as many more Tibetans and Tibet supporters in all parts of the world are tonsuring their heads to express their solidarity to those Tibetans who were killed, arbitrarily arrested and disappeared without traces since 10 March 2008 when the Tibetan people rose up against the Chinese rule in Tibet.

23/03/2008 News

Hundreds of Tibetans protested in Chentsa, Malho “TAP”, Qinghai Province

On 22 March 2008, around hundreds of Tibetans carried out a peaceful protest in Markhul-thang Township, consisted of four villages, which is located in Chentsa County, Malho “TAP”, Qinghai Province in north-eastern Tibet according to information received by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD).

The Tibetans in Markhul-thang Township were carrying out special religious ceremony for a prosperous bounty harvest for this year. Shortly after the end of the ritual ceremony, several hundreds of Tibetans erupted into a peaceful protest by proceeding to the County headquarter chanting slogans.

22/03/2008 News

Fresh ultimatum issued in Gansu for Tibetans to surrender

After days of protests in the different Tibetan areas of Gansu Province which saw the death of scores of Tibetans, the Chinese government sent thousands of troops on foot, trucks and helicopters into the area in an attempt to curb and hunt for protesters. Fresh public notices both in Tibetan and Chinese languages were posted around the county and security personnel are making public announcement of the notice through loud speakers, according to confirmed information received by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD).

21/03/2008 News

Tibetans facing massive arrest drive in Tibet

After days of the peaceful protests in Lhasa and in other parts of Tibet, the Chinese authorities are now arresting hundreds of Tibetans in other parts of Tibet.

On 19 March 2008, Lhasa City Procuratorate has arrested 24 Tibetan protestors on a basis of pre-trial detention. Although 24 Tibetan protestors are on pre-trial detention but it is already a foregone conclusion that they will be charged with serious crimes and will receive harsh prison sentences.

In China pre-trial arrests are usual practice, it is most likely that the detained Tibetan protestors will be indicted within five days at an extraordinary pace compared judicial system in the democratic countries. The swift arrests and sentencing is part of Chinese legal system of sending fear and panic to the protestors to cease their activities. It can well be described as “killing goats to scare sheep”.

20/03/2008 News

Middle school student shot dead in Ngaba County

The body of a girl shot dead in the Ngaba County protest on 16 March was identified as Lhundup Tso, 16 years-old girl and a student of Ngaba County Tibetan School, according to confirmed information received by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD). On 16 March 2008, around few thousands Tibetans erupted into a spontaneous protest following…

19/03/2008 News

Join TCHRD movement to end killings, arbitrary arrests, inhumane torture and enforced disappearances in Tibet

Sensing the unspeakable human rights violations taking place inside Tibet since the past ten days, the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) condemns in its strongest possible terms the ongoing ironclad crackdown on peaceful Tibetan protestors by the Chinese authorities in the Chinese occupied Tibet.

So far, at least 65 Tibetans were known to have been killed, thousands injured, over thousands arbitrarily detained and arrested, hundreds disappeared and death toll rising.

19/03/2008 News

Hundreds of Tibetan nomads and farmers protest in Luchu County

At the time of filing this update, just a moment ago at around 7:00pm (Beijing Standard Time) on 19 March 2008, the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) received a confirmed information from the site of the demonstration that, more than two hundreds Tibetan nomads and farmers from Ponkor Village, Ma Ngoe Township, Luchu County (Ch: Luqu Xian), Kanlho “TAP” Gansu Province, are staging a peaceful demonstration at the Township Public Primary School compound.