China detains 15-yr-old solo Tibetan protester, details on previously detained protesters emerge

Chinese security forces have arbitrarily detained another Tibetan monk from Kirti Monastery in Ngaba County in Ngaba (Ch: Aba) Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, in the Tibetan province of Amdo.

Lobsang Jamyang, age 15, was detained around 4 pm local time on 23 September 2015 while he was staging a peaceful solo protest along the main road in Ngaba County town.

“Lobsang Jamyang shouted slogans calling for freedom in Tibet and return of Dalai Lama as he walked from Pawo Sranglam [‘Martyrs’ Road’] to the main road of Ngaba county town,” a source with close contacts in Ngaba told TCHRD. He was detained within minutes of his protest and taken to an unknown location. His current whereabouts and condition remain unknown.

Local Tibetans refer to the stretch of the road leading to the main road of Ngaba County town as “Pawo Sranglam” since the first self-immolation in Tibet was staged at this spot by Tapey, a monk at Kirti Monastery, on 27 February 2009. Since then, a number of self-immolations and other peaceful protests have been staged at Martyrs’ Road.

Lobsang Jamyang is the son of Mr. Choephel and Mrs. Tsomo of Bhachoetsang family. He was born and raised in nomadic village no. 2 of Meuruma (Ch: Maierma) town in Ngaba County. He became a monk at a young age at Kirti Monastery. At the time of detention, he was in the elementary class of Buddhism.

TCHRD has also identified two protesters who were detained at around midday on 10 September in Ngaba County town. The protesters, Thinley and Lobsang, had staged peaceful protest against the Chinese rule by calling for “freedom in Tibet” and “long life of the Dalai Lama”. Both are being held at an undisclosed location. Family and friends have no information about their condition and whereabouts.

A photo obtained by TCHRD shows both Thinley and Lobsang holding aloft portraits of the Dalai Lama. Although their exact ages remain unknown at the moment, from the photo the boys look like they are in their early teens.

TCHRD earlier reported on the detention of Thinley and Lobsang but was unable to confirm their identities. Due to heavy presence of armed police and sophisticated surveillance system in Ngaba area, it has become easier for authorities to seize any Tibetan protesters with or without the knowledge of onlookers. A large number of arbitrary detention and arrests of Tibetans goes unreported or remains unknown due to fear of reprisals as well as the criminalization of sharing information about human rights violations with outsiders.

Thinley is the son of Tsuritsang family and Lobsang is the son of Tsitoetsang family. Both families belong to Soruma village of Choejema (Ch: Qiujima) Township in Ngaba County.

The situation in Ngaba remains tense with the deployment additional security forces in the past month. Since September 10, all Internet lines in Ngaba County remain blocked except for government offices and institutions.