Tibetan Uprising

According to monks at Kirti Monastery in Dharamsala, Chinese security forces raided 6 monasteries in North-Eastern Tibet on March 28^th. The monasteries included Ngaba Kirti Monastery, Ngatue Amdu Monastery, Gomang Monastery, Dongri Monastery, and Tsennyi Monastery, all in Amdo Ngawa county (Ch: Aba Xian), and Taktsang Lhamo Kirti Monastery in Dzoege county, Ngaba TAP, Sichuan Province. (more…)

As foreign diplomats are being guided around Lhasa by the Chinese government, many Tibetans have protested again in the capital today, at Ramoche Monastery. There were some reports of violence.

A second protest was reported in front of Tsuglag-khang (Jokhang) temple and Beijing East road, with thousands of Tibetans joining.

The Chinese People’s Armed Police (PAP) and Public Security Bureau (PSB) forces arrested over a hundred monks from Ngaba Kirti Monastery, in Ngaba County (Ch: Aba Xian), Ngaba TAP, Sichuan Province, during a raid of the monastery this afternoon. Several hundred PAP and PSB forces arrived at Ngaba Kirti Monastery in the morning, dispersing people, devotees, and visitors gathered around the monastery compound. They also ordered surrounding shops to shut down.

At first the PAP and PSB forces barred the monks from venturing out of their rooms, which was followed by a sudden raid of every monk’s room. The troops ransacked any portraits of the Dalai Lama and looked for any incriminating documents. After the raid, around 5:00pm (Beijing Standard Time), at least a hundred monks were forcibly taken away by the armed forces to Ngaba County PSB Detention Centre. The current atmosphere inside the Kirti Monastery is known to be very tense and volatile.

According to TCHRD’s latest information, sandbag barricades were erected by PAP forces around Kirti Monastery and the surrounding area to curb the fresh outbreak of protest by the local residents of Ngaba County.

Local Chinese authorities have reportedly expelled a large number of monks from Chokri Monastery and arrested some nuns of Nanggong (Tib translit: nganga sgong) Nunnery, in Drango County (Ch: Luhuo xian), Kardze TAP, Sichuan Province. There are also reports of disappearances of many lay people from the area.

Under the pretext of a meeting with the authorities, two former abbots of Chokri Monastery, Geshe Namgyal Tsering and Geshe Sonam Gyurmey, were detained in the County Public Security Bureau (PSB) Detention Centre.

In an apparent measure to bring Tibetans in the county under control, the authorities called for a meeting in neighboring Getse Township, during which the residents were ordered to denounce and criticize the Dalai Lama and the “separatist” forces. An elderly woman, Ama Tsanglo, steadfastedly refused to abide by the order and on the contrary called for the fast “return of the Dalai Lama to Tibet”. The Township Party Secretary attacked the woman, beating her brutally, while she shouted, “I will never denounce the Dalai Lama. Even if you kill me today I won’t have any regrets.” The woman’s son emerged from the crowd and in turn began beating the Party Secretary. At the time of TCHRD’s release on these incidents, both the Party Secretary and Tsanglo had been hospitalized. The whereabouts of the son is still unknown.

The first group of foreign journalists allowed in Tibet since the uprising, arrived in Lhasa today, escorted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Around 8:00am (Beijing Standard Time) on 25 March, the dead body of the 18-year-old monk, Kunga, who was shot dead in the protest on March 24th was brought to Drango Gaden Rabten Nampargyalpeling Monastery in Drango County (Ch: Luhuo xian), Kardze TAP, Sichuan Province, by monks for a mass special prayer session. After the prayer, around 10 AM (BST), more than 400 monks of the monastery held a peaceful protest against the Chinese rule and at the same time vowed to stand up and support each other in case any other monks are killed or detained for protesting. The monks chanted slogans, “Dalai Lama should return to the rightful throne in the Potala Palace”, “Release Panchen Lama”, “Stop current repression in Tibet”, and “Independence and Democracy for Tibet”, as they marched towards the county headquarters. (more…)

With a new surrender deadline only a day away, 381 Tibetans from Amdo Ngawa have reportedly already turned themselves into the Chinese authorities.

The Tibetan Government-in-Exile (TGIE) has increased the death toll in Tibet to 140, up from the 99 reported last week. Prime Minister Samdhong Rinpoche said, “This figure is from our sources in Tibet. The verifiable number is about 130 in entire Tibet…These are not necessarily new casualties. This could be information that we could not get before.” In addition, the TGIE has released the names and details of 40 people who were killed.

At least one monk was shot dead and another left in critical condition after the People’s Armed Police (PAP) and Public Security Bureau (PSB) opened fire on Tibetans protesting in Drango County (Ch: Luhuo xian), Kardze TAP, Sichuan Province. The protests, which began around 2pm (Beijing Standard Time), were initiated by monks from Chokri Monastery and nuns of Ngyoe-go Nunnery in Drawo Township, and later joined by laypeople. Sources inside of Tibet reported that when the protesters were marching towards the township headquarters, a large number of PAP and PSB officers arrived to try to calm the protesters. The two sides clashed and security forces fired live ammunition indiscriminately into the crowd. The dead monk was identified as Kunga, 18, from Chokri Monastery. Tsewang Dhondup, 30, a monk from the same monastery, remains in critical condition.

Xinhua’s account of the clash only mentioned the killing of a Chinese policeman by “a mob wielding stones and knives.”

Protests continued in Qinghai Province on March 23rd. In the morning, at least three Tibetan protesters were arrested by Chinese security forces. They are: Sherab, aged 40, Tabo, aged 40, and Kunbo, aged 20. Six other Tibetans arrested by Chinese security forces on two separate raids have not yet been identified.

Around eight hundred Tibetans from Lha village, Nyarong Monastery, Lowa village and Meru village staged a demonstration; however, Chinese security forces stopped the peaceful protestors at Lokog.

There has been a large mobilization of Chinese paramilitary troops from Seling (Ch: Xining) to Chentsa County, deployed to quell Tibetan protestors. The troops are maintaining a close vigil on the protestors as well as patrolling the streets. The situation on the ground is said to be tense and volatile.

Over 500 monks and laypeople from Palyul village, Chigdril (Ch: Jiuzhi) County, Golog TAP, Qinghai Province, held a sit-in demanding that Karwang Nyima Rinpoche (the head of Dharthang Monastery) not be harassed by the Chinese military. They also demanded that the United Nations, U.S. and other countries intervene to resolve the issue.

Today a group of 29 Chinese dissidents urged Beijing to open direct dialogue with the Dalai Lama. The pro-democracy activists, led by writer Wang Lixiong and dissident Liu Xiabao, urged their government to invite UN investigators to Tibet. They also suggested China allow credible domestic and foreign journalists to independently report from inside Tibet. The full text of their suggestions for the Chineseis below.

A report released by International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) today highlights the increased deployment of Chinese military forces in Eastern Tibet, specifically in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province. Sources state that roads in and out of certain neighborhoods in Chengdu were closed off and streets were lined on either side with police vehicles. According to analyst Mark Zavadskiy, troops stationed in Lhasa and other parts of Tibet were deployed from Chegdu. These troops are “are the most crack combat units with most outstanding rapid reaction capability in China’s Southwest region.”

Protests continued despite the massive military buildup, with TCHRD reporting fresh protests in Qinghai Province. There have been fresh demonstrations in the provinces of western China. TCHRD reports protests in the Tibetan county of Qinghai province. Hundreds of Tibetans carried out a peaceful protest in Markhul-thang Township located in Chentsa County, Malho TAP, Qinghai Province. The peaceful protesters walked to the County headquarters carrying a portrait of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the missing 11th Panchen Lama. They also carried the banned Tibetan flag and shouted slogans calling for the Dalai Lama’s return to Tibet and for the Panchen Lama to be released.

Monks from Makur Namgyaling Monastery began a peaceful protest but were stopped by Chinese security forces. (more…)

Reports continue to emerge of the mounting Chinese military presence in Tibet. Hundreds of paramilitary troops aboard at least 80 trucks were seen traveling along the main road in southeastern Tibet. Others set up camp and patrolled streets in riot gear, helmets and rifles in the town of Tiger Leaping Gorge, in Yunnan Province.

In Lhasa, troops and security forces patrolled the city searching houses for protesters and arresting an estimated two dozen. Police have issued wanted orders for 19 people allegedly involved in the unrest and have publicized their images.

Xinhua reported 183 demonstrators had turned themselves into police in Lhasa.

Prominent Tibetan writer, Woeser, and her Chinese husband Wang Lixiong, are under house arrest in Beijing. They have been under house arrest since the beginning of protests in Tibet.

Amidst international media reports that China blanketed all ethnically Tibetan areas with a huge build-up of troops, there continued to be protests reported in some areas.

On March 20, people in Kego Township of Serta County in Ganzi Prefecture, Sichuan province, were brutally suppressed by over 5,000 military police between 4:00pm and 5:00pm. The clash started when military police tried to take down a Tibetan flag that had been put up in the town. The people demonstrated against this, and were fired upon. The military police had received orders from the Central government to execute anyone who demonstrates. Over 20 people were killed or executed.

Tibetan students at Qinghai Institute for Nationalities started a silent sit-in in the western section of the campus at 8:00pm. The students included some Tibetan students in the Art Department and the Foreign Languages Department.

Students in Yushul County in Kham, Yushul (Ch: Yushu) TAP, Qinghai Province also held a protest.