protests – TCHRD

22/05/2019 News

Deceased self-immolator’s photo becomes available more than 6 years after fiery protest

The Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) has received a photo of Dorjee who died in 2012 after setting his body on fire to protest repressive policies of the Chinese government in Tibet.

The photo could not be shared earlier due to pervasive surveillance and criminalisation of self-immolation protests in Tibet. A number of Tibetans had been imprisoned for sharing news and images about self-immolation on the charges of ‘leaking state secrets’ or ‘maintaining illegal contacts with outsiders’.

07/06/2016 News

TCHRD calls on Chinese government to stop mining at sacred mountain

Anti-mining protesters in Amchok with the banner the in background bearing the slogan: "Stop Mining at Amchok Gong Ngon Lari!” — Anti-mining protesters in Amchok with the banner the in background bearing the slogan: “Stop Mining at Amchok Gong Ngon Lari!”

Rampant open-pit mining activities conducted for more than a decade by the Chinese authorities at Tibet’s sacred Gong Ngon Lari Soul Mountain have faced renewed and sustained protests from local Tibetans living in Amchok (Ch: Amuqu) Township in Sangchu (Ch: Xiahe) County, Kanlho (Ch: Gannan) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu Province.

Thousands of Tibetans living in eight villages within Amchok Township are involved in the series of anti-mining protests that entered its sixth day on 5 June. To deter these protests, Chinese security forces including the police, armed police and the military have launched a violent crackdown on peaceful anti-mining protesters who were beaten and detained. The situation remains tense.

13/05/2013 News

‘Weakness of the Oppressor’ : Leaked document exposes psychological traumas faced by Chinese armed police in Tibet

Front cover of the PAP manual manual on mental health — Front cover of the PAP manual on mental health

TCHRD has received a Chinese language copy of a manual published by the Sichuan Provincial Political Department of the People’s Armed Police Force (PAPF, also called PAP), titled “Guide on Psychiatric Wellbeing While Maintaining Stability” that was circulated among different contingents, detachments and squadrons located at the province, prefecture, and county levels of Sichuan. The manual contains issues raised during a videoconference meeting held by Sichuan Province People’s Armed Police Force regarding the psychological and moral issues arising from stability maintenance work in Tibetan areas. Although the manual was drafted before Xi Jinping’s appointment earlier this year, there is no sign that he will change any of his predecessor’s policies regarding Tibet.

01/02/2013 News

Tibetans sentenced for ‘murder’ at show trial to discredit self-immolation protests

In the backdrop of relentless crackdown on self-immolation protests including arbitrary arrests, detention, intimidation, monetary inducements and long prison terms, the Chinese authorities have sentenced two Tibetans on “intentional homicide” charges, one was given suspended death sentence while the other received 10-yr prison term for “inciting” and “coercing” eight people to self-immolate, out of which three died. The five others did not self-immolate after they changed their minds or due to police intervention, so goes the account published in official Chinese newspapers.

On 31 January, the Intermediate People’s Court of Ngaba (Ch: Aba) Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture handed Lobsang Kunchok, 40, with death penalty with two years’ reprieve and deprivation of political rights for life. His nephew, Lobsang Tsering, 31, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, with his political rights deprived for three years, according to the Chinese government-owned news agency Xinhua.

08/03/2009 News

Tibetans Protest in Kardze during the Tibetan New Year

The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) received a confirmed information from reliable sources that local Tibetans in Kardze County refused to celebrate Losar, the Tibetan New Year (February 25-28, 2009) despite exhortation by the local Chinese authorities. The refusal to celebrate the Tibetan New Year was observed in the memory of those Tibetans died in the largest Pan Tibet protests in 2008.

Sources told TCHRD that about 20 days prior to the Tibetan New Year, which fell on 25 February 2009, Tibetans in Kardze County held meritorious religious prayers such as reciting Mani and Tara mantras as a gesture of sincere grief and mourning for those Tibetans who gave up their lives for human rights, freedom and justice in Tibet. In most parts of Tibet, the Tibetan New Year was not celebrated in the customary fashion. The meritorious prayers and rituals were intended to help and guide the deceased Tibetans for their safe and happy passage into their future re-births in accordance with the Tibetan Buddhist beliefs.

20/02/2009 News

Lithang under siege days after the protest

According to the latest information received by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD), Chinese authorities in Lithang County have significantly beefed up security measures by bringing more forces amidst severe restriction imposed on the movement of the people in Lithang following days of protests.

According to sources, “hundreds of People’s Armed Police (PAP) -a paramilitary force- in full combat gears has arrived in Lithang County in the past couple of days following protest by Tibetans in the area. Severe restrictions are being put on the movement of the people in Lithang. People from villages and monasteries were told not to move out of their houses and warn of serious consequences if they come out in the street. All the shops, and restaurants remain closed with streets bearing complete deserted look except for the hundreds of security forces in full combat gears. The situation is very tense in Lithang at the moment.”

03/04/2008 News

Defiant Tibetans hold solidarity prayer march for victims of Chinese crackdown

Upon witnessing massive protests across the Tibetan plateau since 10 March, Tibetan people from all walks of life in Holkha Township, Tsigorthang County (Xinghai Xian) Tsolho “TAP” Qinghai Province staged a peaceful solidarity march and later held a prayer session for those who lost their lives in the recent series of protests in Tibet on 25 March. Following the peace march and prayer session at the township government headquarters, three Tibetans were arbitrarily arrested in an early morning raid in their home by the People’s Armed Police (PAP) and Public Security Bureau (PSB) officials, according to confirmed information received by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD).

With severe restrictions placed on communication lines by the Chinese authorities, further information on the peaceful political dissents are hard to come by, however, a few brave and courageous Tibetans despite being aware of the grave risk have sent first hand information substantiated with pictures. The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) received exclusive fresh pictures depicting peaceful Tibetan solidarity march in Holkha Township on 25 March.

19/03/2008 News

Hundreds of Tibetan nomads and farmers protest in Luchu County

At the time of filing this update, just a moment ago at around 7:00pm (Beijing Standard Time) on 19 March 2008, the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) received a confirmed information from the site of the demonstration that, more than two hundreds Tibetan nomads and farmers from Ponkor Village, Ma Ngoe Township, Luchu County (Ch: Luqu Xian), Kanlho “TAP” Gansu Province, are staging a peaceful demonstration at the Township Public Primary School compound.

16/03/2008 News

At least seven shot dead in demonstration in Ngaba County

According to the latest confirmed information received by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD), at least seven people were known to have been shot dead including monks of Ngaba Kirti Monastery by the People’s Armed Police (PAP) during the peaceful demonstration by thousands of people in Ngaba County (Ch: Aba) this afternoon. Hundreds of people are also known to have been injured in the incident following PAP crackdown on the protestors. The demonstration is still going on when the Centre received the information from the venue of demonstration.

The demonstration started around 11.30 AM (Beijing Time), when thousands of Tibetan monks of Amdo Ngaba Kirti Monastery, in Ngaba County (Ch: Aba), Ngaba “Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture” (“TAP”) Sichuan Province, gathered for a prayer session this