TCHRD Press Release 29 April 2011/ENG

2011. április 29./TCHRD /TibetPress

Press Statement
A severely burned Phuntsok
A severely burned Phuntsok

New Delhi, 29 April 2011: The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) is deeply concerned at the massive security crackdown in Ngaba County, Sichuan, and other Tibetan areas in present day China. The crackdown has been severe in the past 43 days in Ngaba County and Kirti Monastery has been targetted particularly.

Since the self-immolation of 20-year-old monk Phuntsok on 16 March 2011 in protest against Chinese rule in Tibet, scores of Tibetans have protested at the inhumane treatment given to him by the police while extinguishing flame. The extreme response by the Chinese security forces has led to around 37 detentions as well as four deaths (self-immolation by Phuntsok and three beaten to death) in the security crackdown.

The Kirti Monastery has been under lockdown for over a month now. Armed security personals with police attack dogs patrol compound of the monastery. Work teams from the local religious bureau and government has been conducting rigorous "patriotic re-education" inside the monastery since 20 March. On 21 April, 300 monks have been transported in ten military trucks to an extralegal black jail. When the local Tibetans, mostly elderlies, sitting vigil at the monastery gate tried to stop the monks from being taken away, the police used extreme violence in controlling the crowd which led to death of two elderly Tibetans (65-year-old woman named Sherkyi and 60-year-old man Dongko). Another Tibetan, Chukpel, 24, died of injuries after being severely beaten by the police on 7 April when he along with two youths staged protest in front of a police station in Dzamthang Township, Ngaba Prefecture.

The TCHRD is extremely concerned at fate of the monks led away by the security troops. The normal religious activities and spiritual studies of the Kirti Monastery have been severely disturbed in the extreme security measures adopted by the Chinese law enforcement agencies. Depriving food (now lifted), banning peaceful freedom of expression, curtailing religious freedom, restricting movement, forced political indoctrination campaigns are grave violations of human rights.

The Centre condemns extreme violence employed by the Chinese security forces in quelling peaceful demonstrations in Tibet and especially in Ngaba County in recent days. The so-called "patriotic re-education" campaign in Kirti Monastery should stop immediately and the 300 monks transported to a black jail should be safely returned to their rightful place – Kirti Monastery. The inhumane treatment whereby Tibetans are beaten to death by security forces should end and grievances of the Tibetans should be addressed peacefully by the Chinese leaders with a bold and courageous heart, and clear vision.
Factsheet about situation in Kirti Monastery and Ngaba, Tibet
Documentation from 16 March to 22 April 2011

    * On 22 April, 11th Kirti Rinpoche Lobsang Tenzin Jigme Gyatso in his written statement says, "The Chinese government has concrete and brutal plan to evict all the monks from the monastery, and to kill the essence of the monastery. The lives of the monks are under severe threat. At this extremely crucial point in time, I on behalf of Kirti Monastery in both Tibet and in exile in India, sincerely and urgently appeal to the world’s monasteries, religious associations and friends to take urgent action and effective measures to stop this siege and to strive to bring restive Kirti Monastery under a normal environment."
    *

      At 9 pm on 21 April, 300 monks from Kirti Monastery were forcibly led away by the security forces in ten military trucks. The Tibetans, mostly elderlies, on vigil at the monastery gate tried to stop the troops from taking away the monks. An elderly woman, 65-year-old Sherkyi, and a 60-year-old man, Dongkho, were beaten to death and arms of several people were broken when paramilitary police used extreme violence to control the crowd. The same day public security authorities issued a notice directing foreigners to leave and banned other from entering various Tibetan areas including Kardze and other areas under Ngaba "Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture", Sichuan.
    * On 19 April, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei denied reports of a military lockdown during regular news briefing to reporters. Mr. Lei said, "According to our knowledge, the monks in the Kirti monastery enjoy a normal life and normal Buddhist activities, and the local social order is also normal." He said that the monks had "sufficient" supplies and that while measures were in place to "prevent unidentified people from entering", relations between the monks and police had "always been harmonious".
    *

      On 19 April, the European Parliament Vice-President, Edward McMillan-Scott, denounced China’s use of excessive force at Kirti Monastery. He said, "The authorities must show restraint by withdrawing the armed security police and ending the lockdown of Kirti monastery. All those detained, an estimated of 35 Tibetans, must be released immediately and the threats of relocation of monks from the monastery for "re-education" must end. I strongly condemn the treatment of the local lay people who were beaten whilst trying to prevent the armed police from entering the monastery. The Chinese have the responsibility to resolve the grievances of the locals in a fair and transparent way."
    *

      On 15 April, His Holiness the Dalai Lama issued a statement expressing concern at the situation. The Dalai Lama urged the international community, governments and the international NGOs to persuade the Chinese leadership to exercise restraint in handling the situation. The appeal read "For the past six decades, using force as the principle means in dealing with the problems in Tibet has only deepened the grievances and resentment of the Tibetan people. I, therefore, appeal to the Chinese leadership to adopt a realistic approach and to address the genuine grievances of the Tibetans with courage and wisdom and to restrain from using force in handling this situation."
    *

      On 15 April, the US based Human Rights Watch’s Sophie Richardson said, "The Chinese government has an obligation to protect its citizens' rights of public expression, assembly, and religious belief as guaranteed under China's laws and constitution...The use of violence against peaceful, unarmed demonstrators including those surrounding the Kirti monastery would be both unjustifiable and completely unlawful."
    *

      On 14 April, US State Department’s Mark Toner said, "We have seen that Chinese security forces have cordoned off the Kirti monastery in Sichuan province. They've also imposed onerous restrictions on the monks and the general public. And we believe these are inconsistent with internationally-recognized principles of religious freedom and human right. We continue to monitor the situation closely, and are obviously concerned by it." On 13 April, 11th Kirti Rinpoche offered his condolences to the relatives and children of those killed or injured. He said that "The senior leadership must find the courage to accept that constant repression born of suspicion and the attempt to enforce ‘harmony’ with the power of the gun cannot address the real situation."
    *

      On 12 April, around 40 medium sized vehicles with reinforcement troops arrived at the Kirti Monastery. Local Tibetans rushed to the monastery to protect monks from being transported elsewhere. Earlier the authorities had announced that monks aged between 18-40 will be taken away to be "re-educated" and school children were forbidden from walking through the monastery vicinity to get to their schools. The police let lose their dogs upon the crowd to control them. An elderly Tibetan woman had to be hospitalized after one of the dogs attacked her. A huge number of people blocked all the roads leading out of town and maintained vigil by sitting on the road.
    *

      Three monks from the Kirti Monastery, Dhonyoe Dorjee, Tenzin Jamko and an unidentified monk have been arrested on 8 April 2011.

      On 8 April, around 30 people staged a protest in front of the Public Security Bureau Office at Warma Township in Dzamthang County. One Tibetan (a young man from Gyalrong County married into a family in Dzamthang County) was critically injured in the police offensive and later died in a hospital. Around a thousand Tibetan staged protest over the death.
    *

      On 7 April, three Tibetans raised slogans such as "May His Holiness the Dalai Lama live for ten thousand years" and "Self-government for Tibet" infront of a police station. They were beaten by the police and Chukpel (from Gyalrong) died in a hospital soon after. When hundreds of local Tibetans demonstrated the death of Chukpel, police offered 70,000 yuan as compensation.
    *

      Two monks, Lobsang Ngodup, 32, and Lobsang Choephel, 24, were detained around 30 March and continue to be under detention. Reasons and whereabouts remain unknown.
    *

      The Tibetans in neighbouring Namda Township in Dzamtang County in Ngaba staged a protest on 23 March to show solidarity with the Tibetans in Ngaba County. The authorities responded by sending large number of troops to block movement in Dzamthang and Ngaba Counties. At least four Tibetans, Palko, Dorjee, A-Dor and Woeser Dorjee, were arrested and continue to be under detention.
    *

      Lobsang Tsepak, 27 years old, was detained in the night by police in Beijing on 25 March. He is a student at the Central Nationalities University. He was earlier affiliated to Kirti Monastery, the same monastery to which Phuntsok belonged.
    *

      On 22 March, Lobsang Dhargay (22 yrs), monk of Kirti Monastery and brother of Phuntsok, Lobsang Tsondue, maternal uncle of Phuntsok and Samdup, monk of Kirti Monastery, were arrested and released after few days. They have been rearrested on 12 April 2011. Around 20 March, Lobsang Tenzin was arrested and continue to be under detention.
    *

      Around 20 March, the authorities called a public meeting in upper Thawa and Gabma Villages of Ngaba County, imposing fines of 30 Yuan on absentees. Lately the Village Committees in Ngaba County have been calling public meetings "to praise and be grateful" to the Communist Party. Moreover, the officials have been visiting each and every household in Ngaba County enquiring about monks in the family and to learn their opinion on the self-immolation of Phuntsok.
    *

      Beginning from 20 March, the authorities have intensively conducted the so-called "Love your country, love your religion" political campaign in the monastery for five days. Upon conclusion of the campaign, the officials have formed sub groups to visit each and every room in the monastery to "solicit feedback" and "gather opinion".
    *

      Since 19 March, regular religious programs in the monastery have been suspended by the authorities and armed soldiers with police dogs prowl around the monastery by night. The monks are prohibited from staying late at night from studying their scriptures. Monks found outside their room are beaten by the officials. The students of Ngaba Prefecture’s Upper Middle School located in Barkham County began a hunger strike on 17 March to show solidarity with Phuntsok and as a protest against the authorities’ inhuman treatment to him and the pursuant Tibetan protest. The strike is known to have lasted until 23 March, thereafter information could not be ascertained.
    *

      Phuntsok, lay, a native of Meruma Township, Ngaba County, was arrested on 16 March and continue to remain under detention.

20-year-old Phuntsok committed self-immolation on 16 March 2011 to protest Chinese rule in Tibet. He raised slogans such as "Long Live the Dalai Lama", "May His Holiness Return to Tibet". While extinguishing the flame, he was beaten by the police. Local Tibetans carried him into Kirti Monastery and he died in a hospital in the following morning. Thousands of Tibetans staged demonstrations in Ngaba county over the police brutality met to the monk and security buildup in the area.

To download Prisoners List of Ngaba county click here

To download high quality pictures click here

To watch video of Phuntsok after self-immolation and cremation click here