By Tsering Woeser
Woeser’s Blog
Tibetan writer Tsering Woeser has been reporting daily on the developments in Tibet in her blog. Following are an insider’s on-the-spot views of the unrest in Tibet.
March 10, 2008
At the Drepung monastery, in Lhasa, Tibet, 500 monks held a peaceful protest, but were beaten and tear-gassed by the local military and police. More than ten monks were arrested. The monastery was surrounded, the water supply was shut off, and all restaurants in the area were closed down—leaving the monks to struggle for their survival.
There were 14 Sera monastery monks at Jokhang main temple holding Tibetan flags in protest. They were beaten and arrested by local police. Many local Tibetans implored the police to stop, but three of them were arrested for doing so.
In Amdo, Tibet (Tibetan autonomous prefecture of Qinghai province), monks from Decha temple, Hualong County held a peaceful march. This was broken up by local military police.
In Amdo, Tibet (Tibetan autonomous prefecture of Qinghai province), monks from the Lucang temple of Guinan County held a peaceful march, which was also broken up by local military police.
March 11, 2008
600 monks from the Sera monastery in Lhasa, Tibet went on a peaceful march, but they were beaten and tear-gassed by police. Some monks were arrested. Using their previous tactics, police lay siege to the monastery, shutting off the water supply, and closing all restaurants in the area. Many Tibetans went to the monastery to beg the armed police to stop mistreating the monks.
March 12, 2008
Two monks from Drepung monastery, Lhasa, Tibet cut their wrists. Some monks from Sera monastery went on a hunger strike in protest
Many workplaces in Lhasa, Tibet convened emergency information meetings in regards to the incidents on March 10, and 11. Directors from each workplace reported about the incidents to their respective staff. Some directors briefly announced that several hundred monks from Drepung monastery collectively marched for Lhasa, but were stopped by police on the outskirts of Lhasa. They also announced that several hundred monks from the Sera monastery went to demonstrate in Lhasa. Some directors said that there were incidents concerning monasteries in other regions.
However, the events were concentrated in the Lhasa region. Some government officials revealed that the police and protesters had altercations. While many workplaces reported on the situation, they emphasized to their staff and family members to not talk about sensitive issues, gossip or speculate. Some directors emphasized the seriousness of the situation by describing this as “a direct challenge to the long term stability of Tibet,” and “the above events have the tendency to spread to other areas.”
March 13, 2008
Hundreds of Buddhist monks from Ganden Monastery together with over 150 nuns from Qusang Temple, were preparing to stage a peaceful petition in Lhasa and were stopped by the police and the military. The famous “Great Three” (Drepung monastery, Ganden Monastery, and Sera monastery) as well as other monasteries were also closed by the authorities.
March 14, 2008
In the morning, nearly one hundred monks from Ramoche Temple marched in demonstration against the suppression of the Drepung and Sera Monasteries, which had occurred over the past few days. They were blocked and beaten by the police, which infuriated Tibetan civilians.
Shortly thereafter, a large scale protest, by tens of thousands of people, broke out, leading to some serious confrontations between protestors and authorities. A large number of troops entered downtown Lhasa. Military vehicles and armored vehicles were deployed everywhere in the city and teargas and bullets were fired into crowds of protesters. Blockades were set up around some areas of the city, such as Gamakusang residential area, the old city area.
Large scale arrests and killing of protesters were carried out, and a curfew was enforced that night. This had been the largest scale Tibetan protest since 1989. The Chinese authorities claimed 13 people were killed; however the Tibetan Government in Exile alleges that, according to its sources, nearly 100 Tibetan people were killed. It was reported that starting March 14, a ban on firing weapons had been lifted, freeing the police and the military to shoot protesters at will.
At the Labrang Monastery in Amdo (Xiahe County, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Gansu Province), after Labrang Monastery’s Buddhist services were held, around 2 p.m. nearly 400 monks and civilians raised numerous Tibetan national flags and shouted “Independence of Tibet”, “Long live the Dalai Lama,” “Give back religious freedom,” and other slogans along the People’s Street. They staged a peaceful demonstration in front of the CCP county committee, the county government and the police bureau until the evening when the crowd was dispersed by the police and military forces.
March 15, 2008
Lhasa was controlled by the army, who conducted a full scale search of the city. It has been reported that at least 600 people were arrested. Lhasa was put under Martial law and the curfew continued. Numerous police and military forces were kept on high alert. Authorities released an “announcement” on its government website, warning protesters of a “deadline to surrender,” set for midnight on March 17 (Monday).
In some neighboring counties of Lhasa, such as Darze, Qushui, Lin Zhou, and Mozhugongka, demonstrations and protests also occurred.
At the Labrang Monastery in Amdo (Xiahe County, Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Gansu Province), monks and people staged a large scale street protest and confronted the local police and armed police in fierce conflicts. Later on, the authorities sent tanks and armored vehicles to open fire on the protesters. Many people were killed and nearly 20 people were arrested.
That night, monks from major monasteries in Amdo (Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, capital of Gansu Province) staged a protest and were besieged by the police and military. The protesters around DongYi road in Hezuo city were also dispersed by the military and the police. Tibetan students of Hezuo Ethnic Teachers College held a peaceful protest, and an angry conflict between the protesters and the CCP secretary of the college broke out.
In Luqu county of Amdo (Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture capital of Gansu Province), a large-scale demonstration occurred at Langmu Temple and was dispersed by the police and the military.
In Dawu county of Kham (Garze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture), hundreds of monks and civilians marched and distributed leaflets, and were dispersed by the police and the military.
March 16, 2008
The authorities continued to crack down on protests in Lhasa. Sources confirmed that around 300 people were arrested. At noon over 40 captured Tibetans were paraded through the streets of Lhasa by the police and military. In two military vehicles these young men and women were forced to bow their heads with both hands lashed. An armed guard escorted each detained Tibetan.
About 30-40 protesters were arrested in Dazi County nearby Lhasa; the demonstration by monks from Mezhugongka County was put down by police. Some monks were arrested while others took refuge in other villages.
Some demonstrations occurred in the town of Naque, seat of Naque district in Shannan Songyishi neighborhood.
Monks in the main temple of the Panchen Lama, Tashilhunpo temple presented a protest too. Monks from other places in Rekeze region lodged a protest together with the common people.
In the morning the armed police quelled a protest in Aba County in Amdo (Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of in Sichuan province). It was said that over 30 protesters including monks, students, and herdsmen were shot to death by police. Among them was one pregnant woman, a five-year-old child and Lhundup Tso, a young girl who was a student at Zangwen middle school.
At around 4:00am, the authorities took away Tibetan intellectual Jueledawa, a teacher. At present nobody knows where he is. The Armed police surrounded the county town. In total 18 bodies were sent to Gede temple for celestial burial and other bodies were sent to other temples. Many people were missing.
In Amdo, the authorities dispatched hundreds more soldiers to Hongyuan county (Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture). It is not clear how many protesters were killed and wounded at a demonstration, which occurred here at the Langmu temple.
In Amdo, the protest at the Longmu Temple, military police fired at protestors. It is not clear the number of wounded and deaths.
In the afternoon the police dispersed the demonstration by monks and civilians in Gonghe County in Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Hainan of Qinghai province.
Some 300 monks held a protest in Dashilongwu temple in Tongreng County in Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Huangnan in Qinghai province. Several thousand armed police besieged the demonstrations. Then over ten army vehicles and armored vehicles went on patrol.
Lajia temple in Maqing County in Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Luozangze in Qinghai Province held a peaceful protest.
In the afternoon, in Kham, when several temples were preparing for protests in Kangluhe County in Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Garze, the authorities sent cadres to threaten the protesters. More armed police were then hurried there.
In the afternoon an unprecedented demonstration happened in Maque County. Led by local monks, some 1000 people, from the Tibetan middle school and primary school, took to the streets to protest. Many non-Tibetan shops were destroyed, 16 automobiles were burned and some township government buildings were damaged during the conflict.
The armed police fired at protestors and unknown numbers of people were wounded or arrested. At night on the 17th, the authorities proclaimed martial law and ordered that each department to be on duty around the clock. No officers would leave their post without notice.
Protests happened in Luque County in Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Gannan. People in capital city of the prefecture staged demonstrations. One store owned by Muslims was burned down. Many temples including Zhuoni and Qiagai, held protests but no clashes occurred.
At night in Lanzhou, the capital of Gansu province, about 500 Tibetan students in the Tibet Language Department of Northwest Nationalities University staged a sit-in protest in the playground to share sorrows with other Tibetans in Lhasa. They put up posters describing the situation in Lhasa. The sit-in started at 4:00 pm. Some Tibetan professors, the Dean and Tibetan teachers tried to persuade the students at the sit-in to depart. But the students stayed through the night. Afterwards seven students still persisted with the sit-in.
To prevent Tibetan students from holding protests, a large number of military policemen patrolled the campus at the Southwest Nationalities University in Chengdu City, Sichuan Province. Wuhou ancestral temple and all Tibetan inhabitants in Chengdu were under close surveillance.
Demonstrations happened in Tibetan colleges; including Hezuo Normal Training College, Qinghai Normal School and other schools in Ganze Prefecture and Aba Prefecture in Sichuan province.
March 17, 2008
Within the regions besieged by the army inside Lhasa, the authority started to search every household. It remained to be seen as to how many people were arrested. At every crossroad, soldiers were inspecting passers-by. All Tibetans who didn’t have an ID or who were unable verify their identities were arrested.
Twelve monks from Dingguo Temple at Deqing Village, Duilongdeqing County were arrested when they joined the protest parade on March17. Five of them have been identified. They are Gamadawa, Gesangbazhu, Awangyingni, Awangtaqu and Jinmei.
Eight monks from Kangma Temple in Dangxiong County were arrested as well.
Nuns from Mami Temple in Aba County (Tibetan autonomous prefecture in Sichuan Province) organized a parade in the morning. They held the photos of the Dalai Lama and yelled “peace” as they moved along.
Temples in Gonghe County in Amto (Tibetan Autonomous Regions of Qinghai Province) staged protests in the morning as well.
All monks in Longwu Temple in Amto (Tongren County, Huangnan Tibetan autonomous prefecture in Qinghai Province) held a Tibetan prayer ceremony at the western foothill entrance in the morning. Together they sang, worshiping and praying to the Dalai Lama. Military police arrived to drive them away.
The monks planned to go to downtown to stage a protest parade after the prayer ceremony. Local civilians cried and plead to them not to go, because the whole city was heavily guarded by the military police. Finally, all monks raised several demands to the government with Xiaricang, a living Buddha from the temple as their representative. These demands were: military police must not patrol around the temple; remove all surveillance cameras from inside the temple; government must not forbid any Buddhist activities such as Tibetan prayer ceremonies without a sound reason. Local authorities assented to all of them. However, on the same day in the afternoon, local officials dispatched teams to Tibetan’s residences and threatened them to sign the “guarantee statement” which requires them to promise not to join any parade. On the next day, the military police force originally stationed in Xining City arrived in the county.
Tibetan students at the Hezuo City Nursing School in Amto held a parade in the city. Tibetan students from Hezuo City Normal Schools and the local high school Tibetan students attempted to join the parade, but school authorities stopped them from going. In this region, Tibetans from four villages held a parade to protest the suppression.
Five hundred people, including monks and civilians, at Luqu County held a peaceful parade to protest the suppression.
Monks at Taxiu Temple of Guinan County (Tibetan Autonomous Region in Qinghai Province) held a peaceful parade. Police blocked them on their way to the central district of the county; they were forced to go back to the temple.
Monks at Dalong Temple in Jiuzhi County (Tibetan autonomous prefecture in Qinghai Province) held a peaceful parade to protest. There were around 1,000 participants. National flags of China were taken down; Flags of Tibet were hoisted instead.
More than 200 monks at Longgai Temple of Jiuzhi County (a Tibetan autonomous prefecture in Qinghai Province) held a peaceful parade to protest.
Hundreds of herdsmen at Jiuzhi County staged a protest. Some of the retail stores and police cars were destroyed. After lamas from the local temple persuaded them not to resort to violence, they stopped. Authorities dispatched military police who arrived at Jiuzhi County on the same day in the evening and imposed a curfew.
At 7 p.m., nearly 300 people in Mentang Township in Jiuzhi County held a peaceful parade and hoisted the Flag of Tibet.
Residents at Zhuoni County (a Tibetan autonomous prefecture in Gansu Province) started to revolt. High school students smashed store and restaurant windows. They were later chased away by military police. Later, over 40 military police cars drove into Zhuoni County to guard against people moving through the streets. Outgoing traffic to the capital of the autonomous region was blocked.
Residents at Diebu County (a Tibetan autonomous prefecture in Gansu Province) also held a parade to resist the violent suppression.
The Central University of Nationalities in Beijing is the top school for the education of minority students. More than 100 Tibetan students staged a sit-in on campus for several hours. This was the very first time that supporters of suppressed Tibetans were found in Beijing. According to witnesses, students who participated in the sit-in didn’t say a word; tears fell down silently.
Teachers tried to persuade them to stop. Police were also present. Police cars were parked outside the campus. Although there was no conflict between the police and protesting students, the Department of Police has started to investigate who was the “chief plotter.” The sit-in lasted four and a half hours from 7 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. It was also heard that actually over 300 graduate and undergraduate students joined the sit-in.
Tibetan students at Southwest University for Nationalities in Chengdu City, Sichuan Province also staged a sit-in on campus.
Tibetans in Hongyuan County (a Tibetan autonomous prefecture in Sichuan Province) organized protest activities. High school students went off campus to hold a parade. Police and teachers stopped them. Several leading students were arrested. They were later released after other students protested by sitting-in. One student was shot in the foot; and another student was stabbed with a knife. They are both receiving medical treatment in a hospital.
Tibetans at Seda County in Kham (a Tibetan autonomous prefecture inside Sichuan Province) held a parade to protest.
March 18, 2008
Communist authorities continued making large scale arrests. The number of arrested remains unknown. Soldiers were guarding every crossroad. Tibetans wearing Tibetan traditional costumes received special attention. Many soldiers broke into residential districts to arrest people. They beat those who were arrested with clubs and batons, and scattered on-lookers with teargas. In Xuexin Village alone, three people were taken away within half an hour between 4:00 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. One of them was around 50 years old and dressed decently; he looked like a local Tibetan official. He was bound and beaten, but he held his head high without any fear. The other two were young men.
At 10:30 a.m., nearly 200 Tibetan students at the Minority Normal College of Qinghai Normal University staged a sit-in on the playground on campus; their slogan was “condolence.” Many teachers came to persuade them to stop. The sit-in ended at 2:30 p.m.
Monks at Datang Temple in Amto (a Tibetan autonomous prefecture in Qinghai Province) held a peaceful parade to protest. Students and civilians kept joining them. The number of participants reached several thousand. They insisted on non-violent resistance by means of a peaceful parade.
In Guoluo District (a Tibetan autonomous prefecture in Qinghai Province), large-scale protests broke out. Many townships took down the national flags of China and raised Buddhist flags. Local military police suppressed the protestors and the conflicts became acute. Some Tibetans were shot. The number of casualties remains unknown. Most of the injured and killed were ordinary civilians.
According to witnesses, hundreds of military trucks drove into Hezuo City (a Tibetan autonomous prefecture in Gansu Province) in the afternoon. The Normal College, Tibetan high schools and Tibetan elementary schools have dismissed all the students and asked them to go home. They will need to wait to see when the schools resume classes.
All students at schools in Maqu County are restricted inside the school. Public notice was issued to require Tibetan Cadres to maintain social order on the streets. Those who do not obey will be punished.
At 4:30 p.m., over 300 Tibetans at Litang County (a Tibetan autonomous prefecture in Sichuan Province) held a parade to protest. Some of them were arrested.
Monks and civilians at Ganzi County (a Tibetan autonomous prefecture in Sichuan Province) held a parade. Herdsmen from Luhuo County came to join them. According to related reports, at least one of the leaders was shot to death by military police; another nine people were shot. It remains unknown whether they are still alive. A great number of flyers were distributed in Huolu region.
In the evening, thousands of monks and civilians in Seda County (a Tibetan autonomous prefecture in Sichuan Province) held a parade to protest. Local military police scattered them.
In addition, in Jiazha County Minority High school (a Tibetan autonomous prefecture in Qinghai Province), the only local high school teaching the Tibetan language, every classroom had paper banners that read “Free Tibet,” “Long Live the Dalai Lama.” The national flag of China was taken down, and the Flag of Tibet was hoisted. Military policemen were all over the central regions of the county. Lamas were forbidden to leave their respective temples.
Universities in Beijing required minority students to fill out forms and answer the following questions. Obviously these questions are targeting Tibetan students.
1. How do you view Dalai Lama in your mind?
2. Detailed address and work units of your parents;
3. Your ID number; and
4. Do you promise not to partake in any of parades, sit-ins or political activities.
All foreign journalists were forbidden from traveling to Lhasa, and were not allowed to go to Tibetan regions in Qinghai, Gansu or Sichuan provinces. Every thoroughfare to these regions has military police on guard to inspect passers-by and block traffic.
A foreign journalist rode on a bus for 15 hours trying to get into a Tibetan region, but he was not allowed to enter. Police forcibly sent him to Lanzhou Airport and put him on the flight back to Beijing. The excuse they gave was “Tibetan regions are unsafe.” This journalist replied cynically: “Did you mean here is worse than Iraq in terms of safety?”
Elementary schools in Xining City required all Tibetan students to register, providing their names, home addresses and details about their families. Those students whose residence ID was not in Xining City were required to bring in their residence ID for inspection.
March 19, 2008
The Chinese police continued to arrest people in Lhasa although the number arrested is unknown. So far 160 people have turned themselves in.
For nine days, Drepung Monastery, Sera Monastery and Ganden Monastery had been under police siege. Because the local authorities ordered the shut down of the water supply and closed restaurants in the neighborhood, the monks in the three monasteries are in a terrible situation.
Tibet TV station’s arts channel and the Lhasa TV station broadcast in both Mandarin and Tibetan the arrest warrants numbers 1, 2, and 3 issued by the Lhasa City Public Security Bureau (PSB). They are looking for 21 Tibetan suspects. Among the 21 Tibetans were two monks and one woman. Their photos were enlarged from videos. It is alleged that over 1,000 Tibetans have been arrested. Three Tibetans killed themselves by jumping off a building to avoid arrest by the police. The military police severely beat up all arrested Tibetans, with metal clubs.
Tibetans among the onlookers either showed looks of sympathy or turned away. But many Han people cheered and commented, “They deserve it.” The streets of Lhasa are crawling with soldiers checking Tibetan pedestrians’ ID or proof of residence. But most Tibetans stayed home, leaving the streets to the Han people. Hong Kong’s Pheonix TV claimed that the people in Lhasa have returned to their normal lives, but all those interviewed were of Han ethnicity.
The People’s Procurator in Lhasa has approved the arrest of 24 Tibetans. This list includes the 12 Tibetans who have rewards on their heads. One of these Tibetans has been arrested.
According to sources in Qinghai Province, many local villages are under the siege by the army and military police, who put the area on a high surveillance level. The army was allegedly dispatched from Lanzhou.
Tibetan students at the Qinghai Nationalities Institute have started a petition and organized a silent sit-in protest within the school.
The seat of Maqu County and many townships and towns in Anduo (Gan’nang Tibetan Antonymous Prefecture in Gansu Province) are surrounded by military vehicles. Several Tibetans have been arrested.
Over 500 Tibetans protested in front of Seda County in Ganzi Autonomous Prefecture. Several protesters have been arrested.
Forty Tibetans in Charima Township, Hongyuan County in Aba Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture began a protest, during which they lowered the township government’s flag and China’s national flag. The flag of Tibet replaced the banner of a police state.
March 20, 2008
Under the leadership of over 100 monks in Zeku County in the Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, thousands of people began a large-scale peaceful protest. They repeatedly shouted, “Have a dialogue with the Dalai Lama. Allow a high-level of autonomous rule.” The protesters raised photos of the Dalai Lama, the 11th Panchen and the 17th Karma Rinpoche. The local police and military police have put the area under a high level of surveillance, but have not taken any additional action.
Hongyan Village in Ping’an County, Qinghai Province is the birthplace of the 14th Dalai Lama. It is now off-limits for Tibetans and reporters. The local police have set up road barriers.
March 21, 2008
Lhasa appeared to be peaceful. However, each government department, working unit, company, and residence neighborhood office is holding meetings to transmit the speeches by regime leaders, asking all carders, employees, and residents to openly condemn “the crimes of the Dalai Lama clique” and fight with the “splittists.” Everyone has to show support in order to pass the test.
Each Tibetan official and those working in the local committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Buddhism Association have to show up on TV to vocally attack Dalai Lama for the sake of his personal safety. Even primary school pupils have to critique the Dalai on TV.
8:00 a.m., the Tibetan students in the Tibetan Language Department of Qinghai College for Nationalities held a sit-in at the east campus.
CCTV’s documentary titled “Beating, robbing, and arson in Lhasa” was repeatedly broadcast, which affected the Chinese people greatly and deepened the gap between Chinese and Tibetans.
Tibet TV station’s arts channel and Lhasa TV station broadcast in both Mandarin and Tibetan arrest warrant no. 5 issued by the Lhasa City Public Security Bureau (PSB), looking for 29 Tibetan suspects. Among the 29 Tibetans were two monks (one has been arrested) and two women. China’s major web sites published the photos of 19 Tibetan suspects, as well as phone numbers to report sightings. From the Xinhua report, there were 183 people who turned themselves in to the police. Also, the death toll reached 19.
The military forces in Lhasa have started to set up tents.
A person living in Dalian, Liaoning Province posted a message to Free China, saying, “There are about 300 Tibetan students in Dalian. Right now, they are holding a sit-in. What surprised me is that Tibetan demonstrations have taken place in Dalian, thousands of miles from Lhasa. It shows that this massacre has further unified the Tibetans. I am here to strongly condemn the crimes the CCP has committed against Tibet…”
March 22, 2008
Several hundred monks and civilians in Guinan County in Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai Province held peaceful demonstration in the county seat.
Three hundred Tibetans in Jianzha County held a peaceful demonstration in the county seat. They shouted slogans “Long Live the Dalai Lama” and “Allow the Dalai Lama to return home.” The parade started at 9:00 a.m. and no conflict occurred with local police.
Civilians in the Zeku County held a peaceful demonstration at 12:00 noon. In the beginning, there were about 20 people. Later, it grew to several hundred. They held photos of the Dalai Lama, Qoigyijabu (the tenth Panchen Lama), and the 17th Karmapa. Their slogans were “Long Live the Dalai Lama” and “Return Freedom to Tibetans.” Three or four military vehicles arrived and over 20 Tibetans were arrested.
Civilians in the Xibo Village and Gongxiu Village hoisted Tiben flags while protesting on March 20 at local elementary schools. The situation in these two villages is now unknown.
Twenty-nine famous Chinese intellectuals published an open letter with 12 suggestions about how to handle the situation in Tibet.
Tibet TV station’s arts channel and Lhasa TV station broadcast in both Mandarin and Tibetan arrest warrant no. 6 issued by the Lhasa City Public Security Bureau (PSB), looking for 38 Tibetan suspects, including four women. From the announcement of the No. 1 arrest warrant on March 19, there are 9.5 people subpoenaed per day.
The CCP has utilized the TV and radio to create panic. The jails in Lhasa are jammed with the arrested. Some newly arrested have been sent to jails in the adjacent counties. Yesterday, the first batch of bystanders who were arrested was released. Chinese media claimed they were “partially involved in the 3-13 riot”.
March 23, 2008
The China Mobile Tibet branch sent out a text message to all customers: “The Public Security Bureau seriously announces that all those who participated in the 3-14 riot must immediately give themselves up to us, in order to get a chance to be treated with leniency. We hope all citizens provide information to us. The number to report: 0891-6324422 or 110.”
The text message from the Gannan Autonomous Prefecture of Gansu Province: “Recent incidents that took place were plotted and instigated by Tibet Independents. The central government, as well as offices of provincial and prefecture are also determined to firmly crack down and punish those activities.” Tibet TV station’s arts channel and Lhasa TV station broadcast in both Mandarin and Tibetan the arrest warrant no. 7 issued by Lhasa City Public Security Bureau (PSB), looking for 45 Tibetan suspects. There is one monk and six women listed on the warrant.
March 24, 2008
Lhasa is still crawling with military police, which continue to check Tibetans at checkpoints in Tibetan communities in Lhasa and other areas. The troops sent from Shanxi Province have allegedly been hostile to Tibetans and beat them up at will during street patrols and checkpoints in Anduo, a city located in Gannan, Gansu Province.
On March 23, soldiers stopped four Tibetan students from Hezuo Driving School on the streets and ordered them to squat. The students were subjected to a round of violent beatings because they were slow to obey the order. Similar stories like this have fueled the rage of local Tibetan residents.
The Chinese people have apparently been affected by the Chinese authorities’ fierce propaganda to fuel the ethnic conflict and instigate hatred towards the Tibetan people. There are reported incidents in Xining City, Qinghai Province where taxi drivers refused Tibetan passengers.
In Anduo, such signs as “Organize appreciative and patriotic activities; strengthen the Party’s administrative foundation” started to appear on the streets, which accuse the Tibetan people of being ungrateful to the Chinese Communist Party.
A report from the Xinhua News website on March 23 says, “Our reporters have learned from the local government of the Tibetan Autonomic Prefecture in Gannan, Gansu Province, that 105 divisions at the city and county levels under the direct administration of Gannan prefecture, 27 towns and townships, 113 organizations affiliated with the 27 towns and townships and 22 village committees have been affected. The affected cities and counties include Maqu, Xiahe, Luqu, Zhuoni and Hezuo.” The report confirmed that the protest areas had greatly exceeded China’s official reports and knowledge of the outside world in terms of both scale and scope.
Tibet’s Public Security Bureau issued arrest warrant No.8 and publicized it in both Tibetan and Mandarin on Tibet TV Station’s arts channel and on Lhasa TV Station. The arrest warrant was issued for 8 suspects in the Lhasa protests while 53 Tibetans are wanted so far.
The 52nd suspect on the list is the man with a knife against the backdrop of the flaming flag on the famous photo. A tourist from Thailand has identified the man to be a policeman disguised as Tibetan. Questions have been raised as to why the disguised policeman was not wanted by the police until now. The irony is that the mayor of Lhasa promised on TV that “the foremost task is to reveal the truth.”
According to our sources, around 4:30 p.m., today, a crowd of over 200 nuns, over 200 monks and 800 farmers in Luhuo County, Ganzi Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province started a peaceful march, during which they chanted “Long live the Dalai Lama” and “Tibet belongs to Tibetans.” But the march ended with deadly shootings by the armed police sent by the local authorities, leaving two men dead and more than ten severely wounded. The two confirmed deaths were a man named Chong Weng Deng Zhu and a monk. There are four precincts in Luhuo County. Presently the police have cordoned off three out of the four precincts. No telephone call can go through at this moment.
March 25, 2008
It is alleged that more than 100 Tibetans in Anduo and Heka Townships in Hai County started a peaceful march this morning. The marchers chanted “Long Live the Dalai Lama” and “Freedom for Tibet.” After the local police stopped the march, the crowd had a sit-in silent protest on the streets of Heka Township as a vigil for their fellow Tibetans killed in Lhasa and other Tibetan cities. Presently the police have cordoned off the protesting crowd.
Regarding the police’s violent suppression of the march in Luhuo County yesterday, China’s official Xinhua News publicized a different version of the story: “Armed policemen were on duty in Ganzi prefecture, Sichuan Province, when they were attacked by outlaws. An armed policeman died and multiple policemen sustained injuries. The attack took place yesterday afternoon when outlaws beat an armed policeman to death with sharp knives and rocks. During the attack, the police were forced to fire their guns in the air to disperse the outlaws.”
But in fact the armed police shot two Tibetans to death and wounded many more. The area is now under martial law, while the local authorities are conducting massive arrests.
According to an eyewitness in Lhasa, a monk named Tuomei at Ramoche committed a suicide by hanging himself. The monk, about 30 years old, is from Jiangzi, Tibet. Before he died, he expressed that it was unbearable to see the monasteries shut down by the Chinese authorities.
China’s troops threw teargas into Tibetan monasteries and interrogated and abused the monks.
At around 9 p.m. last night, a hacker changed my blog, making it impossible for me to log in. I have rectified the problem at noon today. I could log into my blog, but all the photographs in my articles had disappeared and I was unable to send attachments. After 3:30 p.m., everything went back to normal.
[Note 1: According an Internet friend, there have been protests in Maerkang County, Sichuan Province; Charima Township, Hongyuan County, Sichuan Province; Lajia Township, Mentang Township, Baiyu Township, Wasai Township and Rima Township in Qinghai Province; Oula Township, Bola Township and Amuquhu Township in Maqu County, Gansu Province; and Pawu Township, Keguo Township and Niduo Township in Seda County, Sichuan Province. ]
Note 2: An urgent request from another Internet friend: It is extremely urgent to rescue the Tibetans in Seda, Tibet! This is the latest news from Keguo Township, Seda County, Ganzi Prefecture, Sichuan Province: Between 4 and 5 p.m., March 20, the local Tibetans faced cruel suppression by over 5,000 armed police for saving the Tibetan flag! So far over 20 Tibetans have been confirmed dead. The shootings were caused by the armed police declaring to the local Tibetan people that the Chinese Central government had given them an order to shoot any protestors.
When the police attempted to remove the Tibetan flag, Tibetans tried to stop the police in a peaceful manner, but the police started shooting right away! Please help Tibet! On 11 a.m., March 21, Niduo Township, Seda County will face an even crueler massacre. Please help Niduo Township! Please pass the news to every government and human rights organizations! Please find it in your heart of compassion to save the people in Tibet!]
Tsering Woeser is the foremost Tibetan writer in Tibet or China today. She published these entries in her blog to record the incident in Tibet. She has been been under house arrest in Beijing since March 10.
