Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) organized a Press Conference here in Delhi at Press Club of India today to highlight the recent inhuman behaviour of Chinese Army who fired gunshots on innocent Tibetans fleeing via the Nangpala pass near Nepalese border with Tibet. Mr.Urgen Tenzin (Executive Director) and Mr.Tenzin Norgay, Personnel for UN Affairs of TCHRD briefed the Press Conference.
The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) condemns the recent shooting of Tibetan refugees by the Chinese People’s Armed Police (PAP).
Thirty refugees were arrested after continuing to flee. Fourteen of these were children, the youngest of whom is five years old. Of the refugees who were not injured or arrested, some are missing, whilst 41 (27 minors below eighteen years) have reached Kathmandu, Nepal, where they are under the protection of the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.
According to confirmed information received by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD), a lone 23-year-old Tibetan monk staged a short demonstration calling for freedom in Tibet on 3 September 2006 at the busy Barkhor street in Lhasa, “Tibet Autonomous Region” (“TAR”). Within minutes, the Public Security Bureau (PSB) officials and security personnels deployed by the Lhasa Neighbourhood Committee hastily moved him away from the area.
The demonstration which took place in the afternoon around 2.40 p.m.(local time) was witnessed by a large crowd of Tibetans. As of now, neither the identity of the monk nor the location of his detention could be ascertained. It is reported that the monk hails from Nechung Village in Toelung Dechen (Ch: Duiling Deqing) County, “TAR”. He was earlier a monk at the local Takdrak Monastery before being expelled on political grounds from the monastery eight years ago.
According to confirmed information received by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD), a 29-year old Tibetan youth, Dolma Kyab, has been sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment term for writing and maintaining a commentary manuscript about Tibet. He is currently imprisoned at Chushul (Ch: Qushui) Prison, “Tibet Autonomous Region” (“TAR”).
Dolma Kyab a.k.a Lobsang Kelsang Gyatso (pen name) was arrested on 9 March 2005 in Lhasa where he was teaching History at a Middle School. As a passion for writing, he maintained a commentary manuscript written in Chinese titled “Himalaya on Stir” (Chinese: Sao dong de Ximalayashan), which was a compilation of 57 chapters written on various topics about democracy, sovereignty of Tibet, Tibet under communism, colonialism, religion and belief etc. Along side the manuscript, he also began writing another one on the geographical aspects of Tibet, which was comparatively short, yet touched on sensitive topics about the location and number of Chinese military camps in Chinese occupied Tibet etc.
Read the full report here.
Click here to read/download the full report.
The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) is happy to learn the release of Nyima Choedon, 38 years old, from Drapchi Prison. According to latest update from the U.S based Dui Hua Foundation, Nyima has been released on 26 February 2006. TCHRD has long campaigned for the release of Jigme Tenzin Nyima a.k.a Bangri Chogtrul Rinpoche and Nyima Chodon, a couple running an orphanage in Lhasa, who were wrongly charged for “splitist” activities and convicted in September 2000 to ten years prison term and life sentence respectively. Nyima received sentence reduction on few occasions where as Jigme received a year reduction and is likely to be released on 30 July 2021.
With the release of Nyima Choedon, TCHRD hopes that her husband Jigme Tenzin Nyima would also be released unconditionally soon. Jigme is currently serving his term at the newly operated Chushur Prison in Chushul (Chin: Qushui) County near Nyethang (Chin: Nidang), Lhasa, along a host of other long term serving Tibetan political prisoners. TCHRD requests the international community to maintain pressure on the government of People’s Republic of China to release all the Tibetan political prisoners.
2006 marks the 10th anniversary of the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD), which was established in 1996. Over the past ten years, TCHRD has endeavored to uncover human rights violations in Tibet and reveal its findings to the rest of the world. The Centre’s location in Dharamsala in northern India allows it direct access to Tibetan refugees…
Drepung Monastery in Lhasa, Tibet’s capital is currently under intense restrictions following a crackdown order issued by the “Tibet Autonomous Region” (“TAR”) government authorities on monks sitting on mass silent protest, according to confirmed information received by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD). Reportedly the situation is tense and the monastery under tight control by the Chinese authorities.
Since the first week of October 2005, “work team” officials have been conducting the “patriotic education” campaign in the monastery. During the Campaign, on 23 November 2005, the monks were ordered to sign a document denouncing the Dalai Lama as a “separatist” and to pledge their loyalty to the Chinese government by accepting “Tibet as a part of China”. The monks showed their disagreement to the official directive and refused to sign the document. Among the monks, five showed strong reactions against the document and the officials. They were immediately expelled from the monastery and handed over to the Public Security Bureau (PSB) Detention Centres in their respective places of origin.
The People’s Republic of China recommenced implementation of the ‘patriotic education’ campaign in monastic institutions in Tibet, according to testimonies received from Tibetan monks who fled into exile. There has been a noted rise in the intensity of the campaign, which is being carried out vigorously in the monastic institutions in and around Lhasa City, Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). Monks…
Ngawang Jangchub, 28 years old, died in the first week of October 2005 under mysterious circumstances in his quarter in Drepung Monastery, according to confirmed information received by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD). He was found dead a day after he had a heated argument with “work team” officials conducting the “patriotic education” campaign in the monastery.
The “work team” officials have arrived in the monastery in the beginning of October 2005 to conduct the campaign. As stipulated by the guidelines of the campaign, the monks in the monastery were required to condemn the Dalai Lama as a “splittist” and to pledge their loyalty to the Chinese government. Some of the monks refused to be “educated” and an argument erupted between them and the officials. It is reported that during the argument, Ngawang flatly refused to condemn the Dalai Lama calling him “the saviour for the present and the next life”. He told the officials that he had no regrets, even if he was to be expelled from the monastery.