China detains nine Tibetans in Palyul County

November 29: Eight Tibetans including six monks have been detained by Chinese authorities in Palyul County last Friday, reported the Tibet Times. The Tibetans were detained by Chinese authorities who had been tipped off about a protest that the Tibetans had planned to carry out the next day. According to sources, two local officials had stolen a truck full of sacred stones from a pilgrimage site at the Khangmar Nyingma monastery. A chunk of the stolen stones have reportedly been sold in China and the rest were seen outside a construction site managed by the County administration, said sources. The Tibetans had decided to stage a protest on November 23 but were arrested before the protest. Several appeals from the local Tibetans to the County administration to return the stolen stones to their rightful owners were ignored. The monastery has been put under constant surveillance with additional Chinese security forces patrolling the streets of Terlung. Strict monitoring of all communication facilities has made it difficult to acquire further information.