Hundreds of Tibetans are arbitrarily arrested in the ongoing house-by-house raid by Chinese security forces in Lhasa beginning from 15 March 2008. All former political prisoners have already been rounded off and thrown into prisons by the security forces according to confirmed information received by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD).
With streets filled with patrolling Chinese armed troops and tanks in Lhasa city, the security agencies comb each and every house in Lhasa and pick up all suspected Tibetans, especially youth, from their houses accompanied by severe beatings by the armed forces. In testimonies received by TCHRD, mothers and elderlies in the families helplessly plea at security forces upon seeing their sons and loved ones being beaten and dragged away.
Law enforcement authorities in the so-called “Tibet Autonomous Region” had on Saturday (15 March) issued an ultimatum to the protesting Tibetans to voluntarily surrender before Monday midnight (17 March). However, the actual arrests has already begun in house-by-house raid since yesterday while the world expects it to take place from tomorrow.
Although Martial Law is not officially imposed in Lhasa, it has all the elements of the Martial Law imposed in 1989 by the then “TAR” Party Secretary Hu Jintao, currently the President of People’s Republic of China.
TCHRD fears more arbitrary arrest and enforced disappearances to take place in the coming few days. The Centre also expresses its deepest fear of torture on the Tibetan arrestees which is a regular feature in the Chinese administered detention centres and prisons in Chinese occupied Tibet. TCHRD appeals to the international community to urgently show their solidarity and act for the arrested peaceful Tibetan protesters and innocent arrestees.