Two More Kirti Monks Arrested
Chinese police have arrested two more monks; identified as Gyatso and Lobsang Gendun, from the Kirti monastery in Ngaba, Sichuan Province.
Sources reported that on 21 November 2011, monk Gyatso was arrested and taken from his room by authorities. Gyatso, age around 42, is from the Ragtsa family in Mesip Village in Ngaba County. He was ordained as a monk at a young age. He was a teacher of the monastery’s school before the school’s closure. Many of his compositions have appeared in regional newspapers and magazines.
Lobsang Gendun, age 48, a former disciplinarian of the Kalachakra college at Kirti, was arrested and detained in mid October. He belongs to the Sego family in Kanyag Village, Trotsik Township.
The reasons for their arrest are not known. The monks’ whereabouts and medical condition also remain unknown.
The situation in Kirti monastery and the Ngaba region continues to be tense with heightened repressions. Reports said that there are over 200 government personnel stationed permanently at the monastery, keeping a close watch over the monks. Security forces patrolling in the county town are also wearing Tibetan dresses to make themselves appear indistinguishable.
Despite the heavy security presence in the area, Kirti monks and the local Tibetans observed Ganden Ngamchoe (death anniversary of Je Tsongkhapa) on 20th of this month. They offered butter lamps and chanted freedom slogans in memory of those who died in self immolations.
