Two monks detained, many others beaten and detained in Ngaba

Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) has been informed by a reliable source that Chinese paramilitary forces detained a monk for staging peaceful protest and detained another for unknown reasons in Ngaba (Ch: Aba) County in Ngaba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, in the Tibetan province of Amdo.

Losang Trinley, about 21, a monk from the local Kirti Monastery was beaten up and detained from the main road in Ngaba County shortly after about 4 pm on 26 December, after he carried a portrait of the Dalai Lama draped in Tibetan national flag on his forehead and shouted slogans such as “May the Dalai Lama live for hundreds of years” and “Tibet needs freedom”. The peaceful protest lasted for some minutes before paramilitary police arrived on the scene and took the monk away.

Shortly after the arrival of police, local Tibetans gathered to denounce the police actions but they too were beaten up with the police detaining an unspecified number of protesters. A video footage obtained by TCHRD shows Chinese paramilitary forces blocking the protest site and an officer giving out (inaudible) instructions to the crowd gathered nearby.

Sources tell TCHRD that posses of People’s Armed Police and Public Security Bureau personnel have sealed all major roads leading to Ngaba County and extreme restrictions are placed on freedom of movement and travel of local Tibetans.

The same evening, local PSB officers detained another monk, Losang Lungrig, about 20, from his monastic residence at Kirti Monastery in Ngaba County. No reason was given for his sudden detention. Police gave no information to the monk’s family and friends about his whereabouts and condition.

Both Losang Trinley, son of Norden and Chogsum, and Losang Lungrig, son of Reyrey and Lhamo Dron, were born and raised in nomadic Meuruma Township in Ngaba County. Losang Trinley hails from nomadic camp no. 4 and Losang Lungrig from nomadic camp no. 5 of Meuruma.

Both monks became a monk at Kirti Monastery at a young age and since then, have continued their studies at the monastery until their detention.

Meuruma has witnessed a number of peaceful protests including self-immolation against the Chinese government. Just four days prior to the detention of the two monks, on 22 December, a 19-yr-old Tibetan woman called Tsepey died of self-immolation protest in Meuruma.

TCHRD condemns the actions of Chinese paramilitary forces that have engaged in unnecessary violence and disproportionate use of force by beating up local Tibetans who had gathered there to peacefully express their discontents and aspirations. TCHRD calls on the local Chinese authorities to immediately release Losang Trinley from detention since he was merely exercising his right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression. There is no legitimate ground for his secret detention. Furthermore, the local PSB officers must make public the reasons behind the arbitrary detention of Losang Lungrig who was picked up from his monastery without any reason. TCHRD urges the individuals, NGOs, and the UN human rights mechanisms to press on China to respect the basic rights and freedoms of the Tibetan people and dissuade from subjecting the monks to torture and inhuman treatment in detention and to account for their psychological and physical well-being.