China: Disclose the Whereabouts of Four Arbitrarily Detained and Missing Tibetans from Ngaba
The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) calls on the Chinese authorities to immediately disclose the whereabouts of four Tibetans who have been subjected to incommunicado detention in Ngaba (Ch: Aba), Ngaba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, in the Tibetan region of Amdo.
In early September, Chinese authorities arbitrarily detained four individuals, including two monks from Kirti Monastery, Lobsang Samten and Lobsang Trinley, along with Tsering Tashi and Wangkyi. Since their arrest, no information has been provided regarding their location or the charges against them.
Lobsang Samten, 53, a monk at Kirti Monastery, is from Khangsar township in Chikdril (Ch: Jiuzhi) County, Golok (Ch: Guoluo) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. He was enrolled in the Ngaba Kirti Monastery since childhood and is currently in his Karampa (Geshe) class. He is also the junior chant master at the Prayer College of Ngaba Kirti Monastery. Known for his lifelong dedication to monastic studies, he holds the Karampa (Geshe) title, awarded for academic excellence in philosophical studies. Lobsang Samten was previously detained in 2011 along with 300 other monks in Ngaba.
Lobsang Trinley, also known as Drenpo, is a monk in his 40s from Rong khangsar town in Ngaba County. He has been actively involved in the religious life of Kirti Monastery, where he plays a crucial role in organising ritual ceremonies.
The other two detainees, 43-year-old Wangkyi and 41-year-old Tsering Tashi are from the Haritsang family in Rongkharsar town, Ngaba County. They are among eight siblings. Wangkyi is married to Sonam Tsering, and the couple has four daughters.
A source told TCHRD, “There have been reports of members of the Haritsang family being arrested for maintaining contacts in India, though specific details remain elusive. In recent months, repression in the Ngaba region has intensified, with increased restrictions particularly aimed at Kirti Monastery and nearby villages. Arbitrary detentions and secret sentencing of Tibetans have become alarmingly frequent. Local Tibetans are being silenced through intimidation, making it increasingly difficult for information to surface. Even those who are released from detention are prohibited from revealing the charges against them or where they were held, further obscuring the truth from the community.”
This incident comes on the heels of China’s closure of two prominent Buddhist monastery schools in July, which forced approximately 1,600 novice monks to enroll in government-run boarding schools. This move is part of a broader campaign aimed at assimilating Tibetan cultural and religious identity and promoting assimilation into the dominant Han Chinese culture.
TCHRD calls on Chinese authorities to immediately end these arbitrary detentions and provide accurate information about the current status and whereabouts of the four missing Tibetans
