Monk “disappears” from hospital after police beatings

More details have emerged on the case of Tsering Gyaltsen, 40, a monk from Drango Monastery who was severely beaten and detained by security forces amid the crackdown that followed the 23 January 2012 protest in Drango (Chinese: Luhuo) County in Kardze (Chinese: Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province.

On 9 February 2012, Tsering Gyaltsen was severely beaten by security forces and then taken to a hospital in Kardze. A source told TCHRD that Gyaltsen suffered a broken spine from the beatings, and died the same day at the hospital.

“Tsering Gyaltsen died the day he was hospitalized because the doctors could not treat the injuries he suffered during the police beatings,” the source said. “In addition to broken spine, he must have received other serious injuries.”

The same day in the same hospital, Sanglha, the 70-year-old mother of brothers Yeshi Rigsel and Yeshi Samdrup, and five minor children of the family received treatment for the injuries they sustained during the police firing at Sanglha’s home. On 9 February, the brothers, monk Rigsel, 40, and layman Samdrup, 42 were shot dead at their home by security forces. The official Chinese newspaper Ganzi Daily News reported their death by police firing. For more on this, please visit Updated: At least twelve Tibetans known missing after Drango crackdown

Despite confirmation from some unnamed sources in the hospital regarding Tsering Gyaltsen’s death, the Chinese authorities have neither confirmed the death nor revealed the monk’s whereabouts.

Monks from Drango Monastery, as well as family of relatives of Tsering Gyaltsen, had approached the County Public Security Bureau office a number of times to inquire about his condition and whereabouts. The PSB officers have so far maintained that they have no knowledge about the case.

In May 2012, more than four months after Tsering Gyaltsen’s disappearance, his family and relatives, in the firm belief that he had died from the beatings, sent a picture of Gyaltsen to Larung Gar Monastery in Serta (Chinese: Seda) County, where necessary rites and rituals were carried out to observe his death. To date, the family has not received Gyaltsen’s body.

Tsering Gyaltsen was born to a nomad family in Norpa Village in Drango County. At a young age, he became a monk at Drango Monastery. He is the son of Sangdor and Tsemo.