Tuesday 23 October 2012

Five arrested in Wonpo for raising Tibetan flag

Phayul[Friday, October 19, 2012 01:18]
Chinese armed forces in Wonpo region of Dzachukha, eastern Tibet following the arrest of five Tibetans on October 15, 2012.
Chinese armed forces in Wonpo region of Dzachukha, eastern Tibet following the arrest of five Tibetans on October 15, 2012.
In continuing crackdown and arbitrary detentions in Tibet, Chinese security personnel have arrested five Tibetans in Wonpo region of Dzachukha, eastern Tibet.

Speaking to Phayul, Jampa Yonten, a monk living in south India with close contacts in the region said the arrests were made during a night raid on October 15.

“Chinese security forces entered the region in large numbers in the night and blocked the exits and cut all communication channels,” Yonten said. “Five Tibetans were arrested during the raid.”

The identity of those arrested and their wellbeing and whereabouts are not presently known.

The same source said that the next day, Chinese authorities summoned one member each from every family in the Wonpo region and warned them against carrying out protests during political re-education sessions, which they said, will be carried out in the area.

“Following the arrests, the warnings, and the large deployment of Chinese armed forces, the entire region is very tense and under strict surveillance,” Yonten added.

It is believed that the five Tibetans were arrested in connection with a Tibetan flag-raising incident that was reported from the region earlier this September.

In an expression of defiance against China’s rule, protesters pulled down a Chinese flag and raised the Tibetan national flag at a school in Wonpo on September 7.

Leaflets carrying the words ‘Freedom for Tibet,’ written in red ink were also found scattered on the school grounds.

Although, local Chinese officials did not make any arrests, they vowed to investigate the incident.

In the same region, earlier this year in February, Tibetans had pulled down a Chinese flag at a flag raising ceremony.

In April 2008, during the pan-Tibet uprisings, monks at the Wonpo Monastery had refused to hoist the Chinese flag at a flag raising ceremony on the top of their monastery. In the increased repression and house-to-house raids that followed, a Tibetan woman named Tri Lhamo committed suicide soon after Chinese security personnel barged into her home and tore down and trampled upon photos of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.


Seven more monks arrested in Wonpo

Phayul[Friday, October 19, 2012 23:50]
In continuing crackdown in the Wonpo region of Dzachukha, eastern Tibet, Chinese security forces have arrested seven more Tibetans in connection with a Tibetan flag raising protest that occurred earlier this September.

Three monks of the Wonpo Monastery were arbitrarily detained on Thursday while four more monks were arrested earlier today, taking the total number of arrested monks in this week to 12.

Speaking to Phayul, Jampa Younten, a monk living in south India with close contacts in the region, identified the three monks arrested on October 18 as Ludrub, Lobsang Drubsel, and Lobsang Tharchin.

“More than a dozen Chinese security personnel raided the personal quarters of Lobsang Drubsel and Lobsang Tharchin and confiscated a number of personal essays,” Younten said.

Earlier this morning, four more monks, identified as Sozang, the Monastery’s secretary, Soenyi, Thakchoe, and Wangyal were arrested. 

The same source said that in the afternoon, Chinese authorities assembled all the monks of the Wonpo Monastery in an attempt to identify those who were involved in the flag raising protest.

“All the monks were made to write in Tibetan language so that the Chinese authorities could match their handwritings with the ones that were found on the pamphlets scattered during the protest.”

In a strong expression of defiance against China’s rule, protesters had pulled down a Chinese flag and raised the Tibetan national flag at a school in Wonpo on September 7, this year. Leaflets carrying the words ‘Freedom for Tibet,’ written in red ink were also found scattered on the school grounds.

Although, local Chinese officials did not make any arrests that time, they vowed to investigate the incident.

Chinese security forces had recently carried out night raids in the Wonpo region, blocking the exits and cutting all communication channels. Five monks were arrested in night raids on October 15.

Following the arrests and the large scale deployment of Chinese armed forces, the entire region is being described as “very tense” and under “severe surveillance.”

In April 2008, during the pan-Tibet uprisings, monks at the Wonpo Monastery had refused to hoist the Chinese flag at a flag raising ceremony on the top of their monastery. In the increased repression and house-to-house raids that followed, a Tibetan woman named Tri Lhamo committed suicide soon after Chinese security personnel barged into her home and tore down and trampled upon photos of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
 

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