Two monks from Kham were arrested and imprisoned In June this year for pasting Independence wallposters. They have not been seen since.
In May 1997, two monks from La Monastery in Lapa township, Zadhe county in Kyekudo, Kham (Ch:Qinghai), pasted wall posters condemning Chinese rule. Some residents feared the repercussions and tore down the posters.
In early June 1997, posters were again pasted. This time, no one tore down the posters and the next day the local policemen saw them. A search was launched and two monks were arrested and taken away that same evening.
The two monks were Tsering Tashi, aged 30, and Yidhi, aged 24. Both monks were attending to the La Monastery’s small provisional store in Zadhe county, about one night’s journey from the monastery. The two were easily traced because the paper they had used to make the posters was sold only in their shop. They accepted responsibility for the posters because they feared that others might be arrested for no reason.
Tsering Tashi and Yidhi are currently being held in Kyekudo prison. No one has been permitted to see either of the monks and nothing is known of their present condition. They were reported to have undergone severe beatings during their initial interrogations.