Engnews February 2012

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RFA BREAKING NEWS : Tibetan Comedian Detained Amid Video Release Plan

by Parameswaran Ponnudurai

Tibetan Comedian Detained Amid Video Release Plan February 24, 2012— Authorities in China’s southwestern Sichuan province have detained a popular Tibetan comedian ahead of his plan to release a video criticizing Chinese rule in Tibetan-populated regions, which has been a key theme of recent Tibetan protests, according to exile sources. Athar, 33, who runs a general store aside from giving satirical performances in Lithang county in the Kardze (in Chinese, Ganzi) prefecture, was taken into custody at night in early February by a special Chinese police team acting on orders from the top, sources said. The detention came amid tensions in Tibetan-populated areas in Chinese provinces on the back of self-immolations and protests against Chinese rule that have led to a security clampdown and the detention of hundreds of Tibetans. “Two weeks ago, many Chinese police wearing black head gear came to his shop in the evening,” said India-based Tibetan exile parliament member Andrug Tseten, citing sources in the region. “They searched his shop and took him away with them in the night,” Tseten said. Athar’s relatives who went to the county police to enquire about his situation were told that the performer had been taken by police belonging to a special task force assigned to detain people involved in “serious political matters,” Tseten said. “County police told Athar's relatives that they got the order from 'higher levels' and that those who detained him were special task force police assigned to arrest people involved in serious political matters. They did not know where Athar was taken.” Call for unity A U.S.-based friend who had visited Athar in November said Athar had told him he was about to release a DVD that might lead to his arrest. Athar, a member of the Yuru Keta Depa family, gave his friend a short recorded message, telling him to pass it on if he should hear he had been detained. It was not immediately clear whether Athar had publicly released the video before his detention. In a copy of the video message obtained by RFA, Athar warns that Tibet under its present status has gone down a “wrong path,” urges unity among Tibetans, and calls for a strengthened Tibetan national identity and culture. "The Tibetan sky, which has a history of more than a thousand years, is [now] shrouded by a thick black cloud,” Athar says. “Many in the world who are sensible and knowledgeable are shedding tears for us and extending their support.” “We should cease all those actions that please our enemy and should shoulder our responsibility and foster unity among all three regions of Tibet and all traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, protect our culture, and conserve our environment,” Athar said. Communications cut “Because of strict restrictions on all lines of communication in Sichuan, it is impossible to call the [Lithang] area to find out what has happened to Athar,” the comedian’s U.S.-based friend said. “Also, large numbers of Chinese forces are deployed in Lithang these days,” he added. Athar’s case follows the detention of two other Tibetan cultural figures this month. About a week ago, popular Tibetan writer Gangkye Drubpa Kyab, 33, was taken into custody in Serthar (in Chinese, Seda) county in Sichuan by special police who raided his home late at night. Two weeks earlier, Dawa Dorje, a popular advocate of Tibet’s traditional culture and language in his 20’s, was detained by Chinese authorities as he returned to the Tibet Autonomous Region after organizing a conference promoting Tibetan culture in Sichuan. Sichuan has been the focus of Tibetan protests against Chinese rule and a series of Tibetan self-immolations that have led to a beefed-up Chinese security presence. Last month, Chinese police opened fire on Tibetan protesters in at least three counties in Sichuan and Qinghai provinces, wounding scores and killing at least six, according to right groups. Twenty-three Tibetans have self-immolated to protest Chinese policies and rule in Tibetan regions since February 2009. Chinese authorities have labeled the self-immolators as terrorists and blamed the Dalai Lama for the tense situation, saying he is encouraging the fiery protests which, they say, run contrary to Buddhist teachings. But the Dalai Lama has blamed China's "ruthless and illogical" policy toward Tibet. Reported by Rigdhen Dolma for RFA’s Tibetan service. Translations by Karma Dorjee and Rigdhen Dolma. Written in English by Richard Finney. View this story online at: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/comedian-02242012152238.html Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news, information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. If you no longer wish to receive RFA news releases, send an e-mail to <mailto:engnews-leave@rfanews.org> engnews-leave(a)rfanews.org. To add your name to our mailing list, send an e-mail to <mailto:engnews-join@rfanews.org> engnews-join(a)rfanews.org . ##### All media inquiries may be sent to Rohit Mahajan at <mailto:mahajanr@rfa.org> mahajanr(a)rfa.org.

12 years, 10 months

RFA BREAKING NEWS : Tibetan Monks Thwart Attempt to Snatch Body After New Self-Immolation

by Parameswaran Ponnudurai

Tibetan Monks Thwart Attempt to Snatch Body After New Self-Immolation February 19, 2012 — Tibetan monks on Sunday prevented Chinese security forces from taking away the body of a Tibetan teenager who burned himself to death in front of a monastery to protest against Chinese rule in southwest Sichuan province, sources said. Nyadrol, who was 18, died on the spot after setting himself ablaze Sunday in front of the monastery in Ngaba (in Chinese, Aba) prefecture's Zamtang (in Chinese, Rangtang) county, which was hit by bloody protests last month. "He did it in front of the Zamtang Jonang monastery on Sunday around noon time," according to Tsayang Gyatso, head of the Jonang Buddhist Association in India's Dharamsala hill town, where Tibet's spiritual leader the Dalai Lama is living in exile. "The Chinese security forces tried to take his body away but the monks of Zamtang Jonang monastery just managed to take possession of his charred body and conduct prayers," he told RFA, citing contacts in the region. Nyadrul's self-immolation brings to 23 the number of Tibetans who have burned themselves to protest Chinese policies and rule in Tibetan regions since February 2009. Three other self-immolations were reported in early February this year in Serthar county (in Chinese, Seda) in Sichuan, but have never been confirmed due to communication problems stemming from a stepped-up crackdown by Chinese security forces. 'Terrorists' The Chinese authorities have labeled the self-immolators as terrorists and blamed the Dalai Lama for the tense situation, saying he is encouraging the self-immolations, which run contrary to Buddhist teachings. But the Dalai Lama blamed China's "ruthless and illogical" policy towards Tibet. Chinese security forces had beefed up security in Zamtang in late January after shooting dead a Tibetan protester and wounding several others as they opened fire on hundreds of demonstrators. The protests occurred as a poster appeared demanding freedom for Tibet and the return of the Dalai Lama. Crackdown Beijing has arrested hundreds of Tibetans, mostly monks in Ngaba, following a crackdown stepped up over the last year triggered by the self-immolations. Last week, police detained a popular Tibetan writer Gangkye Drubpa Kyab, 33, in Serthar, which was also rocked by bloody protests in January. Two weeks earlier, a popular advocate of Tibet’s traditional culture and language, Dawa Dorje, in his 20's, was believed to have been detained by Chinese authorities. Reported by Tenzin Wangyal for RFA's Tibetan service. Translated by Karma Dorjee. Written in English by Parameswaran Ponnudurai. View this story online at : http://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/burn-02192012102305.html Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news, information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. If you no longer wish to receive RFA news releases, send an e-mail to engnews-leave(a)rfanews.org . To add your name to our mailing list, send an e-mail to engnews-join(a)rfanews.org . ##### All media inquiries may be sent to Rohit Mahajan at mahajanr(a)rfa.org .

12 years, 11 months

RFA BREAKING NEWS : Monk Burns to Protest Monastery Intrusion

by Parameswaran Ponnudurai

Monk Burns to Protest Monastery Intrusion February 17, 2012—A Tibetan monk burned himself to death on Friday after protesting Chinese security intrusions at his monastery in China’s western Qinghai province on Friday, adding to tensions in protest-hit Tibetan-populated areas, sources said. Damchoe Sangpo, aged about 40 and a monk at the Bongtak monastery in Themchen county of the Tsonub (in Chinese, Haixi) prefecture, set himself ablaze at around 6:00 a.m. local time and died shortly afterward, an India-based senior Tibetan monk named Shingsa said, citing contacts in the region. It was the 22nd confirmed self-immolation by Tibetans protesting Chinese policies and rule in Tibetan regions since a wave of the fiery protests began in February 2009. Three other self-immolations were reported in early February in a remote region of Sichuan province, but have never been confirmed due to communication problems stemming from a stepped-up crackdown by Chinese security forces. Damchoe Sangpo, the monk who died in Friday’s protest, had objected to the cancelling by Chinese authorities of a traditional prayer festival at the monastery and to the presence of Chinese security forces, Shingsa told RFA in an interview. “After the Tibetan New Year, which in Qinghai’s Amdo region coincides with the Chinese New Year, Chinese officials banned the [monastery’s] Monlam religious gathering and sent armed security forces there ,” Shingsa said. “Damchoe objected to this, and told the Chinese officials that if they didn’t withdraw their troops from the monastery, the monks should not be held responsible for any incident that might follow,” he said. “When monks came out of the temple after morning services, they saw Damchoe burning,” Shingsa said, adding, “He died on the spot.” Communications cut Tibetan-populated regions in China have been shaken by a series of self-immolations and protests recently, leading to a bloody crackdown by security forces and the arrest of scores, if not hundreds, of Tibetans. Chinese authorities have virtually cut off communication lines amid the crackdown, and information flow has been severely restricted, according to sources who have traveled out of these places. Damchoe Sangpo was the youngest of 10 siblings, of whom all the others were girls, Shingsa said. “His father’s name is Taklha. His mother passed away when he was very young.” Damchoe Sangpo, who was described by Shingsa as a “highly responsible person,” was ordained as a monk in 1991 and went to India in 1994. “[Three years] later, he returned to Tibet and became the disciplinarian of the monastery. Before his death, he tutored the monks in religious texts.” It is not clear whether the Chinese authorities or the monks are now in possession of Damchoe’s body, Shingsa said. “Because of the heavy troop presence at the monastery, no more phone calls can be made, and it appears that all of the lines have been cut,” he said. Reported by Rigdhen Dolma, Dhondup Dorjee, and Lobe for RFA’s Tibetan service. Translations by Karma Dorjee and Rigdhen Dolma. Written in English by Richard Finney. View this story online at: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/intrusion-02172012113723.html Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news, information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. If you no longer wish to receive RFA news releases, send an e-mail to <mailto:engnews-leave@rfanews.org> engnews-leave(a)rfanews.org. To add your name to our mailing list, send an e-mail to <mailto:engnews-join@rfanews.org> engnews-join(a)rfanews.org . ##### All media inquiries may be sent to Rohit Mahajan at <mailto:mahajanr@rfa.org> mahajanr(a)rfa.org.

12 years, 11 months

RFA BREAKING NEWS : Wife concerned over top Chinese dissident’s life

by Parameswaran Ponnudurai

Wife concerned over top Chinese dissident’s life February 14, 2012— The exiled wife of China’s prominent jailed dissident lawyer Gao Zhisheng on Tuesday expressed doubt over whether her husband is alive, saying she could not trust the authorities who say he is serving his latest imprisonment in a remote region. Speaking to RFA as visiting Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping met with U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House, Geng He, who fled to the U.S. with her two children in 2009, said she worried about her husband’s safety as he had disappeared for lengthy periods and re-emerged to say he had been tortured. “This government lied about his situation all along. Can we believe what they say? Can we believe Gao Zhisheng is still alive? That is our worry,” she said in an interview. Authorities in Beijing have said little publicly about Gao, one of China’s most outspoken dissidents, although his case has been highlighted by foreign governments and human rights groups across the globe. But, in December, China’s official Xinhua news agency said in a terse announcement that Gao had been imprisoned for three years for repeatedly violating his terms for probation for "inciting subversion" of the state. Geng, who has not spoken to Gao for nearly two years, said she had become more concerned over Gao’s life after his brother traveled to a jail in Shaya county in the far northwestern Xinjiang region where in December they were informed Gao was being held. Prison authorities told the brother that Gao was not allowed visitors and did not want to see his family, Geng said. “He used his career as a lawyer to work for fairness and human rights principles. But the situation is that the Chinese government harshly persecutes the good lawyers that the people need,” Gao said. Once a prominent lawyer lauded by China's ruling Communist Party, Gao fell afoul of the government after he defended some of China's most vulnerable people, including Christians, coal miners, and followers of the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement. In 2006, authorities arrested Gao and handed him a sentence for “inciting subversion” that was later suspended. But over the next five years, Gao repeatedly suffered forced disappearances and torture, Geng said. Prominent case “We have no idea if he is indeed alive,” Jared Genser, Gao’s lawyer in the U.S., said in an interview. Genser, an international human rights lawyer, said that Gao’s case stands out for the brazenness with which the Chinese authorities have withheld information about his situation, despite international attention. “While I would like to believe the Chinese government, they have repeatedly lied about this case,” he said. “I could see why, if they had killed him – from torture, for example – they would want to postpone making that public until after the leadership transition… and why they would want to keep that very much under wraps at this sensitive time,” he said. Vice President Xi is widely expected to take over the leadership of the ruling Chinese Communist Party later this year and the government in 2013. “They are flagrantly lying to the international community and torturing not only Gao Zhisheng, but also his family is being tortured by the lies they are telling to the international community and to the family themselves. I think that is the most disturbing part about this case,” Genser said. Asked what message she had for Xi, Geng said, “My husband is an excellent lawyer.… Why would you have such a good lawyer “disappeared’?” Geng also testified at a hearing Tuesday of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, saying her husband once said, “’You can’t be a rights lawyer [in China] without becoming a rights case yourself.’” “Whatever he does I support him,” Geng told RFA, speaking about how hard Gao’s ordeal has been on her children. “It has been four years since I spent Valentine’s Day with him,” she said, and brought out a Valentine card that her son, Peter, made for his father. “I’ve wanted to grow up to be like you. I hope you can come home soon. I love you,” he had written. Reported by Zhang Min and Wei Ling for RFA’s Mandarin and Cantonese services. Written in English with additional reporting by Rachel Vandenbrink. View this story online at: http://www.rfa.org/english/women/genghe-02142012172353.html Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news, information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. If you no longer wish to receive RFA news releases, send an e-mail to <mailto:engnews-leave@rfanews.org> engnews-leave(a)rfanews.org. To add your name to our mailing list, send an e-mail to <mailto:engnews-join@rfanews.org> engnews-join(a)rfanews.org . ##### All media inquiries may be sent to Rohit Mahajan at <mailto:mahajanr@rfa.org> mahajanr(a)rfa.org.

12 years, 11 months

RFA BREAKING NEWS : Tibetan Culture Advocate ‘Detained’

by Parameswaran Ponnudurai

Tibetan Culture Advocate ‘Detained’ February 13, 2012— A popular advocate of Tibet’s traditional culture and language is believed to have been detained by Chinese authorities, sources in exile and in Tibet said Monday, as another Tibetan self-immolated in protest against Chinese rule. One source, calling from inside Tibet, told RFA that Dawa Dorje, who works as a government researcher in Nagchu (in Chinese, Naqu) prefecture in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), was detained last week after expressing concern over the closure of Tibetan monasteries. He was picked up at Tibet's capital Lhasa's Gonggar Airport, the source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. "There is hardly anyone in Nagchu who doesn't know about this young Tibetan Dawa Dorje," the source said. Dorje's age is not known. "He was detained at Gonggar Airport. He was arrested and taken away but details are not known. His family members could not locate him and are desperately trying to find out where he has been detained," the source said. Conference An India-based friend of Dorje, who identified himself only as Rabgye, told RFA that Dorje had flown into Tibet from China’s southwestern Sichuan province where anti-Beijing protests have escalated in recent weeks. Dorje had taken a flight to Lhasa from Sichuan’s capital Chengdu after organizing a conference there promoting Tibetan culture, said Rabgye, a monk at the Sera Je monastery in southern India. Local authorities inside Tibet and in Chengdu could not be immediately contacted over Dorje's whereabouts due to communication problems. “He called for a conference of Tibetan singers and other Tibetans in Chengdu on Feb. 1 and asked them to write and sing songs with themes that would promote the Tibetan language, race, and culture,” Rabgye said. “He advised the Tibetan singers that songs are a powerful medium for influencing people’s thoughts.” After resting for a day following the conference, Dorje received a call from his office in Tibet ordering him to return to work, and he took a flight from Chengdu to Lhasa, Rabgye said. “To his family’s surprise, he did not emerge from the Gonggar airport in Lhasa,” he said. 'Biggest concern' Rabgye added that he had received a communication from Dorje on Jan. 28, a few days before the conference in Chengdu. “He told me that his biggest concern was about the closing of [Tibetan] monasteries in Driru,” a county in the TAR, he said. Monks and nuns in many of the monasteries in Driru have left their facilities in recent months, citing intolerable interference in their daily activities by Chinese authorities, sources have said. “The local people are also unhappy about the monasteries closing, but if they protest, the Chinese will have an excuse to crack down on the Tibetans. So this was his biggest worry,” Rabgye said. Dawa Dorje graduated from Tibet University in Lhasa and works as a researcher in the office of the county prosecutor in Nyanrong county in Nagchu prefecture, Rabgye said. “He has written several books on the preservation of the Tibetan language, the proper practice of Tibetan religion, and the importance of sending children to school,” he said, adding that Dorje had also organized many conferences on these subjects. Writers, singers, and artists promoting Tibetan national identity and culture have frequently been detained by Chinese authorities, with many handed long jail terms, following region-wide protests against Chinese rule that swept Tibetan areas in 2008. Self-immolation News of Dorje's alleged detention came as a 19-year-old Tibetan monk set himself ablaze on Monday in Sichuan province amid escalating protests against Chinese rule in Tibetan areas and as Beijing poured more security forces into the region to keep a lid on the situation. It was the second self-immolation by a Tibetan teenager in two days and brought to 24 the number of Tibetans who have burned themselves in protest since February 2009 when Beijing stepped up a clampdown on monasteries and rounded up hundreds of monks. Lobsang Gyatso, a monk from the restive Kirti Monastery in Ngaba (Aba, in Chinese) prefecture, set fire to himself in Ngaba town in the afternoon and was beaten and taken away by Chinese security forces, according to sources. Following the incident, Chinese security forces set up checkpoints around the town and were searching residents, according to London-based Free Tibet, an advocacy group. Ngaba town has been the scene of repeated demonstrations against rule by Beijing during the last year. Posters Elsewhere, about 200 Tibetans protested at the weekend in Kyegudo town in nearby Yulshul (in Chinese, Yushu) prefecture, while posters calling for independence for Tibet were put up in Kardze town in Kardze (in Chinese, Ganzi) prefecture, sources said. In Kardze town, Chinese police detained a Tibetan youth on Saturday after a poster warning that three more Tibetans were preparing to self-immolate "for the Tibetan cause" appeared on the wall of the local police station, a local source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The youth, Tashi Palden, 21, was detained as he shouted slogans in the town center calling for Tibetan independence and for the return of exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, the source said. Reported by Rigdhen Dolma for RFA’s Tibetan service. Translations by Rigdhen Dolma and Karma Dorjee. Written in English by Richard Finney and Parameswaran Ponnudurai. View this story online at: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/culture-02132012210853.html Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news, information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. If you no longer wish to receive RFA news releases, send an e-mail to <mailto:engnews-leave@rfanews.org> engnews-leave(a)rfanews.org. To add your name to our mailing list, send an e-mail to <mailto:engnews-join@rfanews.org> engnews-join(a)rfanews.org . ##### All media inquiries may be sent to Rohit Mahajan at <mailto:mahajanr@rfa.org> mahajanr(a)rfa.org.

12 years, 11 months

RFA BREAKING NEWS : Two Tibetans Shot Dead; Another Self-Immolation

by Parameswaran Ponnudurai

Two Tibetans Shot Dead; Another Self-Immolation February 9, 2012— Chinese security forces on Thursday shot and killed a Tibetan monk and his brother who had been involved in protests against Chinese rule, as another Tibetan self-immolated to protest Tibetans' plight, sources said. The shooting in Draggo (in Chinese, Luhuo) county in southwest Sichuan province signaled a hardening crackdown by Chinese authorities on dissent by Tibetans, 22 of whom have self-immolated since March 2009 when Beijing escalated a clampdown on monasteries. The two brothers had been on the run for more than two weeks, and had been hiding in the hills in a nomad region when they were surrounded and fired upon, according to sources in Tibet and in exile. Killed on the spot Yeshe Rigsal, a 40-year monk, and his 38-year-old brother, Yeshe Samdrub, had been pursued by the authorities after they participated in Jan. 23 protests against Chinese rule and calling for the return of exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama in Draggo in the Kardze (in Chinese, Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. "He was on the run, and Chinese security forces encircled the place where he was staying and shot him and his brother," said Kalsang, a monk at the Drepung monastery in South India, citing sources in the region. "Both were killed on the spot," he said. The Jan. 23 Draggo incident was immediately followed by bloody protests the same week in Serthar (in Chinese, Seda) county and Dzamthang (in Chinese, Rangtang) county, both also in Sichuan, in which rights and exile groups believe a total of at least six were killed and 60 injured, some critically. Gunshot wounds Yeshe Rigsal, from the Draggo monastery in Sichuan, was among those who sustained gunshot wounds when Chinese security forces opened fire at protesters in the first incident. Separately, another India-based monk confirmed the account of the two men’s deaths, also citing sources in the region. “It happened this morning, Feb. 9,” the monk, Phuntsog, said. The brothers may have “confronted” their pursuers, he said. Self-immolation As the shooting incident raised tensions, RFA learned of another self-immolation on Thursday. Sources said an unidentified monk set himself ablaze at Lab monastery in Qinghai province's Tridu (in Chinese, Chenduo) county, the scene of protests against Chinese rule by about 1,000 Tibetans on Wednesday. The county is in Yulshul (in Chinese, Yushu) prefecture. “This morning, a monk of Lab monastery set himself on fire," a caller from Tibet told RFA. The name and other details of the monk protester were not immediately available. "After that incident, the Chinese authorities took away the Khenpo [the title of a respected senior monk] and other high lamas of the monastery to the prefecture headquarters in Yushu," the caller said. "The monks of Lab monastery and other Tibetans in the area are waiting for the Khenpo and lamas to return. If they do not return by today, they are determined to start protests against the Chinese authorities,” he said. 'Tense moments' Lab monastery is located on the other side of the mountain where 1,400 Tibetans had protested against Chinese rule on Wednesday, according to the caller. In that protest, about 400 monks from the Sekha monastery launched a 12 kilometer (about seven mile) "solidarity" march to Dzatoe town, but were stopped by security forces halfway at a bridge, angering about 1,000 local residents who then joined the demonstration. The monks carried white banners calling for the Dalai Lama's return to Tibet from exile in India and urging the Chinese authorities to release "innocent" Tibetan prisoners. The banners, with words written in red and blue, also called on the authorities to "Respect the Tibetans—We are one in happiness and sorrow," and "Respect the Tibetan language." Also on Wednesday, several hundred Tibetans assembled at a hall in the Dzatoe county seat to conduct a religious gathering but were blocked by Chinese security forces, a Tibetan source in exile said, citing contacts in the region. Between 1,500 and 2,000 Tibetans then gathered at the scene, the source said. "The crowd shouted slogans calling for freedom for Tibet and the return of the Dalai Lama and ridiculed Tibetan members of the security force who had pointed their weapons at them." "There were some tense moments between the Tibetans and police, but there was no shooting, and the police withdrew their force," the source said. Reported by Sonam Wangdue, Lobsang Chophel, and Tsewang Norbu for RFA’s Tibetan service. Translations by Karma Dorjee and Dorjee Damdul. Written in English by Richard Finney and Parameswaran Ponnudurai. View this story online at: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/another-02092012170023.html Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news, information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. If you no longer wish to receive RFA news releases, send an e-mail to <mailto:engnews-leave@rfanews.org> engnews-leave(a)rfanews.org. To add your name to our mailing list, send an e-mail to <mailto:engnews-join@rfanews.org> engnews-join(a)rfanews.org . ##### All media inquiries may be sent to Rohit Mahajan at <mailto:mahajanr@rfa.org> mahajanr(a)rfa.org.

12 years, 11 months

RFA BREAKING NEWS : Defiant Tibetans Hold Protests Amid Self-Immolation

by Parameswaran Ponnudurai

February 8, 2012— About 2,000 Tibetans in two troubled southwest Chinese provinces on Wednesday defied a security crackdown and held separate protests against Beijing's rule as another monk self-immolated, fueling tensions, according to local and exile sources. Chinese security forces attempted but failed to stop the demonstrations in two counties in Qinghai province as protesters shouted slogans and carried banners calling for a "free Tibet," the release of all Tibetan political prisoners, and the return of Tibet's spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, the sources said. The crowds swelled to about 1,000 each at the peak of the protests in Nangchen (Nangqian, in Chinese) county and Tridu (Chenduo, in Chinese) county in Yulshul (Yushu, in Chinese) prefecture, the sources said, citing contacts in the two areas. Security forces did not open fire to quell the protests in a sign of restraint following bloody violence two weeks ago when police opened fire, killing up to six Tibetans in separate incidents, according to rights groups. The protests came as a Tibetan set himself ablaze in Sichuan province Wednesday in anger at Chinese rule and as Tibetans across the globe held prayers and protests in honor of compatriots who "sacrificed" their lives for the Tibetan cause, activists said. Wednesday's self-immolation took place at a school in the main town of Ngaba county, in Ngaba (in Chinese, Aba) prefecture, India-based monks Losang Yeshe and Kanyag Tsering said in a statement to RFA, citing contacts in the region. The still-unidentified Tibetan man, who appeared to be a monk, shouted slogans before self-immolating, they said. He was immediately taken away by soldiers and police. Fiery protests Twenty-one Tibetans have set fire to themselves in a wave of protests in ethnic Tibetan regions of China since March 2009 as Beijing stepped up a crackdown on monasteries. In the protest in Nangchen on Wednesday, as many as 1,000 people, mostly laypersons in traditional dress, flocked to the county stadium under close watch by security forces. "They chanted prayers and [shouted slogans such as] "Freedom for Tibet" and "Long live the Dalai Lama," one source from inside Tibet told RFA. "When armed soldiers and policemen closed in, the Tibetans shouted "Kyi Hi Hi," a Tibetan battle cry in defiance," the source said. "The soldiers and policemen then retreated but watched from a distance. There was no clash between them but the protesters remained in the stadium." At the same time, several hundred Tibetans gathered in the main monastery in Nangchen town, chanting and tossing Tsampa [barley flour] into the air. Stopped at bridge In the other protest in Tridu county, about 400 monks from the Sekha monastery launched a 12 kilometer (about seven mile) "solidarity" march to Dzatoe town but were stopped by security forces halfway at a bridge, angering about 1,000 local residents who then joined the demonstration. "Chinese [forces] pressured the monks to stop the march, and at that point around 1,000 local residents joined the protests and raised slogans for up to three hours," one local source said. Another source said the monks had defied appeals by laypersons against proceeding with the march amid fears they would be detained. “The Tibetan protesters shouted that they were ready to sacrifice their lives and would continue their struggle," one caller from Tibet told RFA. The monks carried big white banners calling for the Dalai Lama's return to Tibet from exile in India and urging the Chinese authorities to release "innocent" Tibetan prisoners. The banners, with words written in red and blue, also called on the authorities to "Respect the Tibetans—We are one in happiness and sorrow," and "Respect the Tibetan language." Chinese security forces later surrounded Sekha monastery and were restricting the movements of monks and other Tibetans, sources said. Rising tensions Tensions have risen in the region since three Tibetans set themselves on fire in Serthar (in Chinese, Seda) county in Sichuan on Feb. 3. Three other counties in the province—Draggo (in Chinese, Luhuo), Serthar (in Chinese, Seda), and Dzamthang (in Chinese, Rangtang)—were rocked by bloody protests against Chinese rule two weeks ago in which rights and exile groups believe at least six were killed and 60 injured, some critically. Official Chinese media reported that only two Tibetans were killed in the incidents after "mobs" armed with, guns, knives, and stones attacked local police. Telephone and other communication links to the protest areas have mostly been cut. Reported by RFA's Tibetan service. Translations by Jigme Ngapo, Karma Dorjee, Rigdhen Dolma and Dorjee Damdul. Written in English by Parameswaran Ponnudurai and Richard Finney. View this story online at: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/defiant-02082012161711.html Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news, information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. If you no longer wish to receive RFA news releases, send an e-mail to <mailto:engnews-leave@rfanews.org> engnews-leave(a)rfanews.org. To add your name to our mailing list, send an e-mail to <mailto:engnews-join@rfanews.org> engnews-join(a)rfanews.org . ##### All media inquiries may be sent to Rohit Mahajan at <mailto:mahajanr@rfa.org> mahajanr(a)rfa.org.

12 years, 11 months

RFA BREAKING NEWS : New Self-Immolation Amid Tensions

by Parameswaran Ponnudurai

New Self-Immolation Amid Tensions February 8, 2012— Another Tibetan protester set himself ablaze Wednesday to protest Chinese rule in a Tibetan-populated area of China’s western Sichuan province, according to Tibetan sources in exile. Twenty-one Tibetans, mostly monks and former monks, have set fire to themselves in a wave of self-immolation protests in ethnic Tibetan regions of China since March 2009 as Beijing has stepped up a crackdown on monasteries amid charges of human rights abuses. Wednesday's self-immolation took place at 6:30 p.m. local time at the No. 2 primary school in the main town of Ngaba county, in the Ngaba (in Chinese, Aba) prefecture, India-based monks Losang Yeshe and Kanyag Tsering said in a statement to RFA, citing contacts in the region. The still-unidentified Tibetan man shouted slogans before self-immolating, they said. “The protester appeared to be a monk,” Yeshe and Tsering said, quoting a source, “but his name and place of origin and other details are not known.” “He was immediately taken away by soldiers and police,” they said, adding that two other monks were detained in the vicinity. “Their identities are also unknown,” Yeshe and Tsering said. Global protests, prayers Security in Ngaba particularly has been extremely tight as Tibetans across the globe planned prayers and protests on Wednesday to pay respect to compatriots who have sacrificed their lives for the Tibetan cause. "The Tibetans in Tibet are aware of the exile Tibetans' global solidarity protest today, and as a result there was a massive security presence in Ngaba. During the daytime, almost no Tibetans were seen in the street," Tsering told RFA by telephone from the Indian town of Dharamsala, where the Dalai Lama has been living in exile. "This self-immolation took place in the evening, when the security forces had considerably withdrawn from the scene," he said, citing contacts in the region. "The scene of the self-immolation protest was not in a public gathering square. It was in a little secluded area. The news is confirmed by five different sources, from Bejing, Tibet, and in exile," he said. Rising tensions The latest self-immolation protest came five days after sources said that three Tibetans set themselves on fire in Serthar (in Chinese, Seda) county, also in Sichuan province. Serthar was among three counties in Sichuan province where Tibetans protested against Chinese rule two weeks ago in which rights and exile groups believe at least six were killed and 60 injured, some critically. The other counties were Draggo (in Chinese, Luhuo) and Dzamthang (in Chinese, Rangtang). Official Chinese media reported only two Tibetans were killed in the incidents after "mobs" armed with, guns, knives, and stones attacked local police. Tensions have risen in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) and in Tibetan-populated areas of Sichuan, Qinghai and Gansu provinces following a recent wave of protests against Chinese rule and calling for the return of the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader. Chinese authorities have ramped up security across Tibetan areas following the protests, sources said. Telephone and other communication links to the protest areas have mostly been cut. Reported by Rigdhen Dolma and Dorjee Damdul for RFA’s Tibetan service. Written in English by Richard Finney. Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news, information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. If you no longer wish to receive RFA news releases, send an e-mail to <mailto:engnews-leave@rfanews.org> engnews-leave(a)rfanews.org. To add your name to our mailing list, send an e-mail to <mailto:engnews-join@rfanews.org> engnews-join(a)rfanews.org . ##### All media inquiries may be sent to Rohit Mahajan at <mailto:mahajanr@rfa.org> mahajanr(a)rfa.org.

12 years, 11 months

RFA BREAKING NEWS : Lao Officer Held Over Foreign Trade In Babies

by Parameswaran Ponnudurai

Lao Officer Held over Foreign Trade in Babies February 5, 2012—A retired justice ministry officer in Laos has been hauled up for questioning after he "adopted" newborn babies from hospitals and poor rural households and allegedly sold them—mostly to Americans, Canadians, and Australians, according to government officials. The officer, who obtained adoption papers from the justice and foreign affairs ministries for babies that had been taken away from their parents, is accused of selling the infants—all one to two years old—for U.S. $1,500 to $5,000 each. "What he did for adoption was legal, but selling babies was [illegal]," a Lao national security official investigating the case told RFA, saying the retired officer had been taken in for interrogations. "He is the one who goes around hospitals and poor rural homes to locate unwanted babies and takes them to be sold later," the official said. It is not know how many babies have been linked to the trade but Laos has gained notoriety in recent years for human trafficking. It is a source and a transit and destination country for women and girls subjected to sex trafficking, as well as for men, women, and children subjected to forced labor, according to a U.S. State Department report. Adoption freeze The Lao national security ministry has forwarded a report on the investigations over the babies-for-sale scam to the ministries of justice and foreign affairs, requesting them to suspend the issuance of adoption papers for babies on the suspect list, officials said. The adoption papers will be issued only to immediate families who want to take charge of the babies, they said. A justice ministry official said it is investigating whether the babies had actually been sold, which can constitute a human trafficking offense punishable by a three-to-five-year imprisonment. "We are going to look into the [economic] situation of the parents to assess their need to give up the child," the official said. "Adopting a child for sale later is a crime, related to human trafficking, no question about it," the official said. "We cannot say anything before the investigation is over." The official confirmed that the retired officer is "familiar" with most of the ministry's employees and that he often applied for adoption and naturalization papers. No specific law Laos has no specific law to check human trafficking, officials have said. This "loophole" allows human traffickers to pose as "adopted parents," making it difficult for enforcement officials to distinguish them from "genuine adopted parents," an anti-human trafficking official in Vientiane said recently. It also makes it difficult to indict traffickers, the official said. At present, Laos uses the criminal code to deal with the human trafficking problem. According to the U.S. State Department's 2011 Trafficking in Persons Report, court proceedings of human trafficking cases in Laos "lacked due process and transparency." International groups and non-governmental organizations have also been unable to verify data provided by the Lao government, the report said. The government did not report prosecuting any cases of internal trafficking, while the impunity of corrupt government officials remained a problem throughout the Lao justice system, it said. The report also highlighted corruption, which it said is "endemic" in Laos. Observers of trafficking in Laos believe that some public officials—particularly at local levels—are involved in facilitating human trafficking, sometimes in collusion with counterparts in neighboring Thailand, the report said. "Nevertheless, the government has never reported any officials investigated, prosecuted, or punished for involvement in trafficking in persons." The Lao National Assembly approved a National Plan of Action on human trafficking in 2007 but it has not been endorsed by the prime minister’s office. Reported by Nontarat Phaicharoen for RFA's Lao service. Translated by Viengsay Luangkhot and Max Avary. Written in English by Parameswaran Ponnudurai. Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news, information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. If you no longer wish to receive RFA news releases, send an e-mail to <mailto:engnews-leave@rfanews.org> engnews-leave(a)rfanews.org. To add your name to our mailing list, send an e-mail to <mailto:engnews-join@rfanews.org> engnews-join(a)rfanews.org . ##### All media inquiries may be sent to Rohit Mahajan at <mailto:mahajanr@rfa.org> mahajanr(a)rfa.org.

12 years, 11 months

RFA BREAKING NEWS : Three Tibetans Self-Immolate Amid Crackdown

by Parameswaran Ponnudurai

Three Tibetans Self-Immolate Amid Crackdown February 4, 2012—Three Tibetans have set themselves on fire in the troubled county of Serthar (in Chinese, Seda) in China's Sichuan province, the latest in a series of self-immolations against Chinese rule, sources said Saturday. News of the self-immolations in a remote village in Serthar on Friday surfaced only a day later due to a clampdown in communications by Chinese authorities following a string of bloody protests a week ago, they said. “On Feb. 3, three Tibetans self-immolated in protest against Chinese policy at a place called Phuwu in Serthar and one of them died," an exile source told RFA. The area is near the border with Sichuan's neighboring Qinghai province, the source said. "This area is far from the main Serthar county town. The survivors are seriously injured though the details are difficult to obtain due to the shutting down of communication lines in the area," another source said. "However, [in the protests] they had called for freedom for Tibet and the return of the Dalai Lama." Twenty self-immolations A third source also confirmed the self-immolations, the number of which has climbed to 20 since February 2009 amid growing tensions in Tibetan regions of China where people have been protesting against Beijing's rule and calling for the return of the Dalai Lama, Tibet's spiritual leader. The identity of the person who perished in the self-immolation could not be immediately confirmed but the two who were seriously injured were initially identified as Tsaptsai Tsering, 60, and Kyarel, 30, sources told RFA. Serthar was among three counties in Sichuan province where Tibetans protested against Chinese rule last week in which rights and exile groups believe at least six were killed and 60 injured, some critically. The other counties were Draggo (in Chinese, Luhuo) and Dzamthang (in Chinese, Rangtang). Official Chinese media reported that only two Tibetans were killed after "mobs" armed with, guns, knives and stones attacked local police. Chinese authorities have ramped up security across Tibetan areas—from Lhasa, capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region, to the Amdo and Kham regions—following the protests, according to sources. Telephone links to the protest areas have also been mostly cut and more than a 100 protesters have been detained, some sources said. Tensions Tensions in the Tibet Autonomous Region and in Tibetan-populated areas in China's provinces have not subsided since anti-China protests swept through the Tibetan Plateau in March 2008. Chinese authorities have blamed the Dalai Lama for the tense situation, saying he is encouraging the self-immolations, which run contrary to Buddhist teachings. But the Dalai Lama blamed China's "ruthless and illogical" policy toward Tibet. He called on the Chinese government to change its "repressive" policies in Tibet, citing the crackdown on monasteries and policies curtailing the use of the Tibetan language. Reported by Lobsang Sherab and Tenzin Wangyal for RFA's Tibetan service. Translated by Karma Dorjee. Written in English by Parameswaran Ponnudurai. Radio Free Asia is a private, nonprofit corporation broadcasting and publishing online news, information, and commentary in nine East Asian languages to listeners who do not have access to full and free news media. RFA’s broadcasts seek to promote the rights of freedom of opinion and expression, including the freedom to “seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” RFA is funded by an annual grant from the Broadcasting Board of Governors. If you no longer wish to receive RFA news releases, send an e-mail to engnews-leave(a)rfanews.org . To add your name to our mailing list, send an e-mail to engnews-join(a)rfanews.org . ##### All media inquiries may be sent to Rohit Mahajan at mahajanr(a)rfa.org .

12 years, 11 months

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Engnews February 2012