 Tibetans barred from annual prayer festival 
Phayul[Thursday, February 05, 2009 ] This picture taken on Feb. 2 from a cellphone shows workers installing a new surveillance camera in Labrang. (Photographer's name withheld) Dharamsala, Feb. 5 - A Tibetan in Amdo Labrang has secretly sent an email accompanied by pictures for dissemination outside Tibet. The Tibetan man, who did not give his name, wrote in a broken English that Chinese authorities are threatening Tibetans of dire consequences if they attend the annual prayer (Monlam Chenmo) at Labrang monastery from February 13 to 16, 2009. The man writes, "At the moment in Amdo every local government saying to the local people. If you will go to Labrang monastery on the 13th 14th 15th and 16th then we don't take care about for your life." This picture taken from cellphone on Feb. 2 shows troops marching in Labrang. (photographer's name withheld) Annual Prayer festival at Labrang monastery usually draws thousands of people from other parts of Tibet but this year the authorities are not allowing devotees to attend the event that is significant for many Tibetans. The local government is installing many surveillance cameras in Labrang to monitor movement of the Tibetans. More and more Chinese troops are being deployed in the area. The authorities are also not allowing tourists during the festival. Labrang witnessed intense military crackdown after Tibetans in the area initiated some of the most vociferous protests against the Chinese government last year. He ends his short email with "please help my nation and send this news to all of the world." 
Jigme Gyatso grew up in Luchang village. At the age of 14 he entered Labrang Monastery,
one of the most prestigious monasteries in eastern Tibet where he later became the
Director of the Labrang Monastery Vocational School.Jigme Gyatso was arrested in February 2006 after he traveled to India to receive teachings from the Dalai Lama. Upon his return to Labrang Monastery, local police detained him for over 40 days. He was forced to pay 10,000 RMB to the authorities before he was allowed to return to the monastery. On March 22, 2008, Jigme Gyatso was arbitrarily detained for the second time when Chinese authorities swept the monastery in response to mass protests by monks, nuns and laypeople in the town centre on March 14. Watch a video of the protest. Although he did not take part in the demonstrations, Jigme Gyatso was arrested and badly beaten. At one point during his detention, an officer of the People’s Armed Police (PAP) held a gun to Jigme Gyatso and said, “This is made to kill you, Ahlos (derogatory term used for Tibetans by some Chinese). You make one move and I will definitely shoot and kill you with this gun. I will throw your corpse in the trash and nobody will ever know.” Upon learning of his arrest, Jigme Gyatso’s younger brother brought him bedding, clothes and food. However, his repeated requests to be allowed to see his brother were denied. After three weeks, Jigme Gyatso was transferred to a detention centre in Linxia Prefecture where again his brother was denied visitor access. Jigme recalls being held for 28 days in a cell with no other Tibetans. More than a month later, his brother received notice that Jigme Gyatso had been transferred to a military hospital in Linxia Prefecture. He was in a coma as a result of the torture he underwent during interrogations. After spending two months recovering in the hospital, he was finally released on bail but his movement was severely restricted. In the face of extreme personal danger, Jigme Gyatso made an incredibly courageous video statement in which he showed his face and disclosed his full name. The statement, first broadcast on Voice of America on September 3, 2008, described the extreme torture and mistreatment Jigme experienced in detention as well as his views on China’s devastating policies in Tibet. terug naar boven |