8/26/2012

Crackdown continues in Tibet, More monks arrested


Arrested Kirti monk Lobsang Sangay in an undated photo. (Photo/Kirti Monastery)
Arrested Kirti monk Lobsang Sangay in an undated photo. (Photo/Kirti Monastery)
August 25: Amidst continuing crackdown at the Kirti Monastery in Ngaba, eastern Tibet, more monks of the Monastery have been arbitrarily detained for unknown reasons.

Dharamshala based rights group Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy in a release today said two more monks were arrested by Chinese authorities in the past two weeks.

“Around 14 of this month, Lobsang Sangye, 30, a monk from Kirti Monastery, who hails from Chilgdril (Chinese: Jiuzi) County in Golog (Chinese: Guoluo) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province, was arbitrarily detained for unknown reasons,” the release said.

“On August 17, another monk from Kirti Monastery, Lobsang Konchok, 40, who belongs to Gyatsotang family in Chashang Chukle Gongma Township in Ngaba County was also detained on unknown charges.”

Lobsang Sangye, son of Rabten and Yumkho is a student of Pharchin class (En: Perfection of Wisdom).

Lobsang Konchok, Tharten and Atso is pursuing his Karampa degree (equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree in Tibetan Buddhism) at the Kirti Monastery.

“Both monks were detained by the Public Security Bureau personnel of Ngaba County,” TCHRD said. “Their condition and whereabouts remain unknown at the time of reporting.”

Arrested Kirti monk Lobsang Konchok in an undated photo. (Photo/Kirti Monastery)
Arrested Kirti monk Lobsang Konchok in an undated photo. (Photo/Kirti Monastery)
The rights group added that two more monks of the Monastery were also detained for over a week and later released.

“On an unknown date this month, security personnel detained two more monks from Kirti Monastery, Lobsang Tenzin and Sangdhue,” the release said. “They were held in custody for a week during which they were subjected to prolonged interrogations. Both were released without any explanation for their detention.”

In 1998, Lobsang Tenzin had received a three-year prison term and was again detained for a month in 2008 during the widespread Tibetan uprisings.

With over 2500 monks, the Kirti Monastery is one of the largest seats of learning inside Tibet.

Since Tapey, a Kirti monk set himself on fire demanding freedom in Tibet and the return of the Dalai Lama from exile in February 2009, 18 more monks and former monks from the Monastery have self-immolated.

The monastery remains under heavy military blockade with armed soldiers strictly controlling the movement of the monks. Hundreds of monks from the monastery have been disappeared, while many have been sentenced to lengthy jail terms on charges of “subversion”.

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