Monastery under siege as monks face expulsion while another detained for writing book on immolations
A monk from Tongkyap Monastery has gone ‘missing’ since his arbitrary detention earlier this month by People’s Armed Police in Gade (Ch: Gande) County in Golok (Ch: Guolo) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province.
According to information received by TCHRD, on 11 March, the day after the 54th anniversary of Tibetan national uprising, Tritsun (pen name: Tri Bhoe Trak), 26, a monk from Tongkyap Monastery was detained on unknown charges. Police detaining the monk gave no explanation for the sudden detention. Tritsun’s incommunicado detention has severely affected his aged mother, Phagmo, who is the only member in his family.
Although the Chinese authorities have yet to disclose the charges against Tritsun, sources with contacts in the area told TCHRD that he was probably detained in connection with a book he authored and published in March 2013. The book titled “Denpai Khalang” (Eng: Breath of Truth”) was released and distributed on 8 March at Tongkyap Monastery. The book contains essays on fiery sacrifices made by Tibetans in a series of self-immolation protests; in particular, it features a biography on Lama Soeba, a reincarnated lama from Tongkyap Monastery who died of self-immolation protest last year.
On 8 January 2012, Lama Soeba died of self-immolation protest in Darlag County in Golok Prefecture. In his audio testimony recorded before his death, he said, among others, “I am giving away my body as an offering of light to chase away the darkness, to free all beings from suffering.”
Tritsun’s detention took place when he was visiting his aged mother who lives near Tongkyap Monastery. Although a monk at Tongkyap, Tritsun had been pursuing further studies at Lungyon Monastery in Gade County before his sudden detention from the County town.
Tongkyap Monastery is under severe security blanket with the recent spike in armed police presence after monks of the monastery held a prayer ceremony on 14 March, the 2008 protest anniversary, to mourn the loss of lives in self-immolation protests. The prayer ceremony was held to observe the 54th anniversary of Tibetan national uprising and the fifth anniversary of the 2008 protest. The ceremony, held at a sacred rock cairn located near the monastery, saw monks offering butter lamps, doing prostrations and circumambulating around the cairn, covered in Buddhist teachings carved on stones.
On 17 March, a group of local officials, after getting wind of the prayer ceremony, arrived at the monastery and immediately called a meeting with the monks. In a strong indication that Tritsun’s detention was related to the views he expressed in his book, the officials pressed upon the monks to voluntarily turn themselves in if they had, in any way, morally or materially, supported or aided the publication of the book.
The local officials were followed by 10 Audi SUVs loaded with security officials from the County government. TCHRD sources estimate that the total number of government and security personnel currently stationed at Tongkyap is around 100. Sources said the security officials have decided to extend their visit for a month and had even asked the monastery to let them stay (apparently without charge) in a nearby guesthouse owned and run by the monastery. But the monks appealed that this would severely affect their main income source to feed, shelter and educate the monks. In retaliation, the County officials have now put up tents on the monastery campus demonstrating their intention to stay at the monastery for longer period.
Moreover, facing opposition from the monks against holding ‘political education’ meetings in the monastery’s main prayer hall, the officials have set up their meeting stage on the prayer hall’s doorsteps. Sources said on the first day of the meeting on 17 March, officials again asked the monks about Tritsun’s book and issued stern warnings against the holding of prayer ceremonies such as the one organized by monks of Tongkyap Monastery on 14 March saying it was against the law. They further warned that going against the law would result in the confiscation of IDs of registered monks. The fate of unregistered monks at the monastery remains unknown at the moment.
Tongkyap Monastery has about 200 monks, half of whom are officially registered, that is, the Chinese government approves and recognises them with special ID cards. Non-possession of these state-issued IDs means a monk is not a monk, however sincere or serious a monk is about his education. Laws barring those below 18 years of age from joining a monastery have been in place for decades and has severely affected normal religious teachings at the monastery.
Tritsun hails from Gyagor Mema nomadic camp of Dokha Village in Gade County.
