By Phurbu Thinley
Dharamsala, March 26: About a dozen monks from one of the most important monasteries in Tibet have defied a huge police presence to try and stage a street demonstration in Tibet’s second larget city, according to a media report from Beijing.
The monks from the Tashi Lhunpo monastery, the religious seat of the influential Panchen Lama, managed to make their way onto a city street on Monday, the report quoted local residents as saying.
According to the report, Paramilitary People’s Armed Police quickly moved in to prevent the group from marching through the town of Xigaze (Tib: Shigatse).
The latest protest in the city adjoining Lhasa comes despite huge deployment of police throughout the town following massive demonstrations against China’s rule over Tibet through the capital, Lhasa, on March 14.
The demonstration by the monks was so brief that they barely had time to shout the slogans demanding the return of the Dalai Lama that have been a feature of nearly two weeks of unrest across ethnic Tibet areas, the report said.
The residents of Xigaze told Times Online of increased patrols in the town since then.
Residents also reportedly said monks had tried several times over the past few days to demonstrate but had been turned back.
Monks wanting to leave the monastery must now sign a book giving a reason for going out. Visitors are being encouraged not to go there for the time being even as the monastery remains open to pilgrims and the public, residents said.
The report did not specify if there had been any arrest following the repeated demonstration attempts made by the monks.
