Chinese state TV broadcast of military gathered in Potala Square in Lhasa to watch the opening day of the 18th Party Congress. Tibetans were prevented from entering Potala Square, normally a public area.
Read more on our website.
China’s ‘friends’
The Chinese have been particularly good ‘friends’ to Tibetans recently. In fact, after the recent crackdown in Drango, reports suggest every single family in the county has been allotted a special ‘friend’ they can talk to, and perhaps even confide in.
These ‘Chinese friends’, as they are known, are especially interested in Tibetans who may have been talking to relatives who live abroad, or buying petrol.
There are even fears that telephone lines, only just connected after a 5-month long communications blackout, have been bugged. Clearly it’s not been Tibet’s day, their week, their month or even their year.
Take a look around our website and see if you can’t help Tibet be there too, like it’s been there before. Help Tibet be there for you, by being there for it too.
This is Geshe Tenzin Phalsang, the fifth monk from Drango to be disappeared by Chinese security forces in the last year.
He was disappeared in April after helping Tibetans who had been wounded during the Drango protests in January, where Chinese forces had opened fire on Tibetan protesters, killing two and injuring dozens.
Geshe Tenzin Phalsang joins the Drango Four, a group of Tibetan monks who were disappeared in January, and haven’t been heard from since.
We need as many people as possible to take action. Geshe Tenzin Phalsang and the Drango Four are just a tiny minority of the Tibetans who have been disappeared by Chinese forces. Campaign for their release now.
Two Tibetans have set themselves on fire in 72 hours
Protests in Tibet have been escalating in recent weeks and continue to do so with events this morning confirming the second self-immolation protest in less than 72 hours and the total number since March 2011 fast approaching 60.
Dhondup, in his mid 50s, set himself on fire at around 0930 am (local time) in the grounds of the ancient Labrang Monastery in Eastern Tibet. The monastery is steeped in history and is well-known for its resistance to Chinese rule, but this is the first self-immolation to take place there.
On Saturday, 27-year-old father of two Lhamo Kyab (pictured) was running towards the Bhora monastery near Sangchu County, Eastern Tibet when he set himself on fire after calling for the Dalai Lama to be allowed to return to Tibet.
Both men died from their protests.
Tsering Gyaltsen, a Tibetan monk in his 40s who has been unaccounted for since February, is reported to have died in Chinese custody in Eastern Tibet. Free Tibet
“It is better to kill myself than be arrested by the Chinese”
10 May 2012
Tibetan chooses suicide over Chinese prison
It has been revealed today that Gonpo Rigzin, a 25-year-old Tibetan man, has stabbed himself to death rather than face the torturous and harrowing realities of the Chinese prison system.
The 25-year-old stabbed himself repeatedly in the upper body at his family home in Sheda Township, Drango County.
Previous Tibetan protest
Before committing suicide, Gonpo said: “it is better to kill myself than be arrested by the Chinese”, putting into perspective the horrific experience in Chinese prisons.
Gonpo had previously been involved in a protest in the town of Drango on 23 January. Unconfirmed reports allege that he was involved, along with others, in damaging a police vehicle during the protest in which Chinese forces opened fire on unarmed demonstrators.
Patriotic re-education
Villagers in Sheda Township have been repeatedly summoned by local government officials to attend and be subjected to ‘patriotic-re-education’ programmes.
In this compulsory programme, Tibetan Buddhists are forced to denounce their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, who they hold as sacred, and to swear allegiance to the State and the Communist Party. These programmes have become a routine occurrence after the Drango protests.
Gonpo’s family were told by police that attendance at the patriotic-re-education classes were compulsory.
Chinese police harrassment
Following Gonpo’s family’s harassment by the police and fearing he would be detained upon arrival, Gonpo ignored several orders to attend the classes.
On 29 March, after hearing the Paramilitary Security Bureau were on their way to his house, he made the comment, “It is better to kill myself than be arrested by the Chinese” and stabbed himself to death in his home.
Get the latest news and all the background to the protests sweeping across Tibet on our Tibet Rising pages.
“It does not mean that we don’t want to go on living with our families, but we don’t have freedom”
This is the final message of Sonam and Choephak Kyap who set themselves on fire and died last week in the name of Tibetan freedom.
Discovered two days after their self-immolation, their recording is now being shared among Tibetans.
This is the latest example of Tibetans passing on information about protests in spite of China’s attempts to control communications across the country.
They said they were self-immolating “against the Chinese government and for the protection of the Buddha Dharma”.
Their call has inspired Tibetans in Barma township, where they self-immolated, to gather at the local monastery to pledge solidarity.
Sonam and Choephak Kyap were not interested in personal glory but in “Tibetan people’s rights”.
Those rights, including the right to share calls for freedom, are now being asserted by those who hear the message.
They do so at great risk to themselves. The least we can do is share it too.
Have fun… or else!
2 March 2012
Tibetans forced to celebrate Losar 
February 22 marked the beginning of Losar, the Tibetan New Year.
Many Tibetans decided not to partake in the traditional New Year celebrations in honour of those who have self-immolated or been killed in protest in Tibet over the past year.
Forced celebrations
The Chinese Communist Party responded in Lhasa by banning the boycotts, therefore enforcing what are described as ‘mandatory celebrations’ – forcing people to attend dances and set off fireworks.
The authorities threatened to cut relief or welfare to people who did not celebrate and accused them of being splittists, the consequences of which is very serious.
Some of those who were detained while returning from the Kalachakra in India were allowed out for the week to participate the ‘festivities.’
Patriotic re-education
Chinese officials declared the Losar party over on 28 February and the Tibetans had to return to their places of detention to continue their patriotic re-education.
In addition to this treatment, it is reported that the detainees are being charged to cover the cost of their own detention.
Most people are still being denied any contact with the outside world and have been told that they will be held until April.
Image: Tibetan man being detained in Sethar Town on 24 January
What you can do
Contact your nearest Chinese embassy asking for an immeadiate end to the use of disproportionate force and detention in Tibet.
Comedian Detained
Who said the Chinese have got no sense of humour? They were obviously right.
Another Tibetan cultural figure was arrested last month. Authorities in Lithang county, Kardze TAP have detained 33 year-old comedian and satirist Athar. He reportedly planned to release a video criticising Chinese rule, according to exile sources. Read the story in full here.
Tibetan poet Tsering Woeser is another artist who has suffered recently from the Chinese government’s media restrictions.
On Thursday Chinese authorities prevented her from receiving a cultural award at the Dutch ambassador’s residence because she is under surveillance and cannot travel abroad. She has been in exile in Beijing since 2003 when her collection of essays, Notes on Tibet wasofficially banned on account of “political errors.”
Woeser says:
‘when Notes on Tibet was banned, I was a little shocked. I’m actually very slow in certain aspects, thinking that others would understand the stories I wrote, and in other words, they would not be banned since they are true stories. This shows that I’m really rather foolish.’
The complete interview with Woser plus examples of her poetry can be read at Cerise Press literature and arts journal here.
Meanwhile Reporters Without Borders have claimed that restrictions on the media in Tibet are even worse than North Korea.
The organisation said:
“Out of sight of the world, a major crisis is unfolding. Even Pyongyang has an international media presence, which is not the case in Lhasa.
“Chinese authorities aim to control the Tibetan people behind closed doors, excluding journalists, foreign ones in particular, who might be troublesome witnesses of what is happening.”
