In the recent few months after the outbreak of the major protests across the Tibetan plateau since March 10, 2008, a few more cases of, particularly, the enforced and involuntary disappearance of Tibetans are beginning to surface. According to the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD), there are at least more than a thousand Tibetans whose current whereabouts and well being remains completely unknown to their family members and their affiliated monasteries.
The situation at Labrang Monastery in Sangchu (Ch: Xiahe) County is extremely tense today. Thousands of People’s Armed Police (PAP) and Public Security Bureau (PSB) personnels have surrounded Labrang Monastery in the aftermath of arrest of hundreds of monks, according to confirmed information received by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD).
On 7 May 2008, thousands of PAP and PSB officers (estimated around 5000) surrounded Labrang Monastery and carried a sudden raid in the monastery. During the raid, around 140 monks were arrested and taken away for detention. The next day a large number of monks of the monastery protested calling for the release of the monks arrested on the previous day. The authorities upon fearing the protest to escalate further, released all the detained monks except for 18 monks. However, the monks continued to call for the release of the remaining 18 monks and the authorities gave in by releasing another 11 out of the 18 monks today morning.
According to confirmed information received by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD), a fresh demonstration erupted this morning at around 10 AM (Beijing Time) in Labrang, Sangchu County, Kanlho “TAP” Gansu Province in the eastern part of the Tibetan area as a follow-up to yesterday’s demonstration staged by monks of Tashikyil Monastery which was later joined by…
According to confirmed information received by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD), thousands of Tibetan monks and laypeople converged and stage demonstration in the streets of Sangchu County, Kanlho “Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture” (“TAP”), Gansu Province. The demonstration which took place around 2pm (Beijing Time) today is currently ongoing. Mobile phone pictures depicting the intensity of the demonstration are obtained by the TCHRD.