China shoots down injured Tibetan, brother

Phayul[Thursday, February 09, 2012 23:31]

A Tibetan carrying a bullet injury to his stomach region following China's violent crackdown on protests in Drango, eastern Tibet on January 23, 2012. DHARAMSHALA, February 9: Phayul is getting confirmed reports that Chinese security personnel hunted down and killed a Tibetan who had suffered bullet wounds in the January 23 protests in Drango along with his brother earlier today. The two have been identified as Yeshi Rigsel, 40 and Yeshi Samdup, 38. Yeshi Rigsel had suffered bullet injuries to his arm on January 23 in Drango, eastern Tibet when Chinese security personnel opened indiscriminate fire on unarmed Tibetans. At least five Tibetans are feared dead and over 30 seriously injured in the police firings. According to sources in exile with links in the region, the two brothers, Yeshi Rigsel and Yeshi Samdup had fled Drango town after the protests and were hiding in the mountains. “The police had been on the look out for all the protesters in the near by areas, knowing that the ones nursing bullet injuries won’t be able to run for long,” Ven. Ngawang Woebar, a former political prisoner told Phayul. After days of manhunt, the Chinese police tracked down the two brothers in the near by mountains and killed both of them at around 9.30 am local time. “This cold blooded murder of an injured Tibetan along with his brother goes to show the climate of intense violence and repression in the region,” Ven. Woebar added. The two deceased brothers belonged to a nomadic family from Norpa, near Drango. Protests in Drango flared up on January 23, the first day of Chinese new year, after local Chinese Public Security Bureau officials began to arbitrarily arrest Tibetans on suspicion of their involvement in the appearance of leaflets and posters around the town warning of more Tibetan self-immolations if the Chinese government did not listen to Tibetan concerns. The unarmed protesters, many of whom were farmers and nomads raised slogans calling for freedom in Tibet and the return of the Dalai Lama. As the protests grew stronger, the Public Security Bureau and People's Armed Police intervened by using guns to rein in the protesters. Earlier information had confirmed the death of Norpa Yonten and another unnamed Tibetan. Following the protest, the entire region was placed under an undeclared martial law with police arresting 100 Tibetans from Drango on suspicion of their participation in the mass protests. The first graphic images of the January 23 protests reached exile earlier this month. The photos showed in gory details, bullet injuries suffered by Tibetan protesters following the violent crackdown. At least two Tibetans can be seen in the photos carrying bullet holes in the stomach area while others have blood coming out of bullet injuries in their arm and legs.