Last month the People’s Republic of China (PRC) officially acknowledged the detention of Ngawang Choephel, a Tibetan musician and scholar arrested by Chinese authorities in August 1995 while travelling in Tibet. Ngawang was undertaking some preliminary research for the creation of a documentary on the traditional folk music and performing arts of Tibet. According to Mr. Shao Wenguang of the…
The following information was provided by Jamyang Dhargyal who had studied in this school for three years. Bayan County Nationality School in Amdo (Ch:Qinghai) is a day-cum-boarding school admits Tibetans and Chinese Muslims. In the early 1980’s the school fees and expenses were taken on by the government and a monthly stipend of 24 yaun per student was provided. Most…
According to new arrivals from Tibet, on 19 April 1996 female political prisoners in Drapchi Priaon went on a hunger strike as a protest against a prison order forbidding the families of the prisoners from bringing them food. The prisoners also protested against the poor prison diet. 81 of the 145 female political prisoners in Drapchi participated in this hunger…
A recent update by the Tibet Information Network reports further actions taken by the authorities of the PRC to discriminate against the use of Tibetan language in educational Institutions within Tibet. In December 1996, authorities announced that the History of Tibet course at the University of Tibet is to be taught in Chinese rather than in Tibetan. The decision ignores…
According to a TCHRD source of Tibet, during late 1995 and early 1996 the Health Department of “TAR” conducted an inspection of all private hospitals and clinics in and around Lhasa. The inspection team confiscated the practicing license of Lodoe Choedak, former director of Lhasa’s Zhigong (chinese) hospital. After his retirement, 50 year old Lodoe Choedak haad opened a private…
After 15 months of detention without charge, Ngawang Choephel, a 30 year old Tibetan musician and scholar, has been sentenced to 18 years prison and four years deprivation of political rights after visiting Tibet to research traditional musical customs. Sonam dekyi carried her two year-old son Ngawang on her back over the Himalayas and out of Tibet at the onset…