By Choekyi Lhamo
DHARAMSHALA, Aug 11: A middle school teacher Rinchen Kyi from the recently closed Sengdruk Taktse Middle school was arrested on August 1 on the charges of inciting separatism, according to Dharamshala-based Tibet Watch. The report published on Tuesday said that she had been taken to Xining in Qinghai Province but her latest whereabouts have yet not reached the sources, and details about her health have been kept secret by the authorities.
Rinchen was arrested in Golog, Eastern Tibet after the forced shutdown of Sengdruk Taktse middle school last month, without any specific reason given by the local officials. According to the report, her health deteriorated after the abrupt incident and she lost her appetite for over two weeks. Her family and relatives grew concerned about her state, but she kept refusing to visit the doctor until the Chinese police detained her from her home on the charges of ‘separatism’.
Rinchen was one of the longest-serving teachers in the school and was deeply affected by the abrupt closure. The school’s graduation ceremony marked the last day of the institution, affecting its alumni community and concerned teachers and parents. The police reportedly kept the teacher in a hospital in Xining for two days and eventually transferred her to another undisclosed location, but claimed that she had been taken to another hospital. The police are yet to disclose her next location.
The co-founder of the school in Darlak County, Khandrul Jigme Kunsang Gyaltsen, at the last graduation day said that the school provided education to the destitute, orphaned and economically challenged families. He explained that the school was built in accordance with the laws, and expected that he would receive an official clarification from the higher authorities regarding the closure.
