'GET BACK TO WORK' CAMPAIGN TAKES MORE CASUALTIES

Political commissar of Tibet, Communist Party Secretary Zhang Qingli sends his colonial troops out to do their "patriotic duty".

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ivil disobedience spreads in Tibet as farmers in the Kardze Tibetan "Autonomous" Prefecture adhere to their farming boycott, despite physical and psychological abuse, bribery and threats of land confiscation.

Another region of Kardze Prefecture is now reporting protests against the Chinese administration, according to a source in contact with the area. In the township of Rongpatsa (location name now corrected, see comments section), Kardze County, eight juveniles were arrested on March 25 for holding a public demonstration at Gyaldoghowa village (phonetic spelling). Among those arrested was the son of the village head, who warned the authorities that the village's 80 families would revolt if their children were not released. All eight were later released.

On April 1 four nuns belonging to the Hardo Rinpoche Nunnery (in the same township) along with two local youths were arrested after raising Tibetan freedom slogans and demanding the release of Tibetan political prisoners. Chinese authorities have tried to bribe residents of Norzin village (phonetic spelling) to comply with their orders to get back to work in the fields. The residents refused, reminding the authorities that they will never tolerate their denunciations of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

Following the security forces' beating to death of Phuntsok Rabten on March 25, this colonial army seems to be on a beating and arresting kick in Drango County over the issue of the farming boycott. On March 27 a group of farmers refused to comply with Chinese orders to work, and were severely beaten up (some into unconsciousness) and arrested. Fourteen Tibetans were injured in the incident, some of them seriously. Relatives are not permitted to visit them in hospital.

One of these, a woman named Khethar, is now in an "unable mental state" due to the violent beatings, according to sources. Others were forced to sign documents they didn't understand. The other identified victims of this incident are Pema Lhamo, Yali, Palchen and Choekyi, all from different villages in Drango County. Security forces continue to search for Tibetans in Drango who evaded arrest, but farmers continue refusing to farm their land.

On March 22 Pema Yangtso, a 26 year old nun at Nyima Gesey Nunnery in Kardze County, shouted slogans for Tibet's independence. She was arrested and her whereabouts are still unknown. On March 16 Lobsang Gyurmey, 29, called for independence and prayed for long life for the Dalai Lama. He was arrested and his place of detention is unknown. Lobsang supports his wife, three children and an elderly mother.

This heavy-handed back-to-work campaign has even affected education in Drango County. Children studying at a school in Dzakhog township last month were required to stop their work and vacate their school, which was needed by the colonial army for temporary shelter. Massive troop reinforcements have also been sent to the Dzagon Sargon Monastery.

Yangkyi Dolma protested peacefully, was beaten with rods and electric shock batons, and arrested. Photo: TCHRD

Two nuns of the Drakkar Nunnery in Kardze County mounted a peaceful protest at the town's main market at around 3 pm on March 24. Yangkyi Dolma and Sonam Yanchen shouted freedom slogans calling for the swift return of the Dalai Lama to Tibet, human rights for Tibetans and religious freedom in Tibet. (This protest was previously reported here via RFA, and I thought it might be a duplicate of another protest on the same day, reported by Voice of Tibet. It was not.)

During the short protest Yangkyi Dolma distributed some handwritten pamphlets. Officers of the Chinese People's Armed Police (PAP) beat the two nuns viciously with rods and electric shock batons before being thrown into a vehicle and taken away. The earlier RFA report had quoted local eyewitnesses saying that around 50 security forces were involved, and that the nuns continued to call for long life for the Dalai Lama even after their beatings.

At around 7 pm that same evening, security forces stormed and ransacked the family home of Yangkyi Dolma and harassed her family for "supporting separatist forces." Early the next morning more security officers returned to the home and ordered Yangkyi's brother to report to the county government headquarters. His fate is not known.

There have been around 28 known incidents of peaceful protest in Kardze T-"A"-P since March 10, with about 60 people known to have been arrested. It is likely that more incidents have gone unreported due to the severe restrictions on communication. Authorities in Drango County (neighbouring to Kardze County), now faced with the popularly supported farming boycott, have reportedly issued an ultimatum for Tibetans to get back to work in the fields. They must resume farming by April 11 or their land will be confiscated by the government.

Around six Buddhist monks staged a peaceful sit-in protest in front of the Xining City High People's Court, in the Qinghai provincial capital on April 2. The protest began around 8 am, with a large banner which read, "Appealing to the court to conduct fair judicial proceedings in accordance with the law." The monks were taken away by Public Security Bureau officers, and their place of detention remains unknown.
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Labels: China, Tibet

- posted by Agam @ 5:13 PM 7 comments

7 Comments:

I assume Rinpatsa is Rongpatsa which is between Ganzi and Manigango. There is often a roadblock there. Rongpatsa was the location of a peace accord in 1918 where all parties recognized that the Yangtze was the boundary between Tibet and Han China. Its a real shame that we forget our history or even re-write it.

By  John Studley, at 04 April, 2009 19:30  

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Nima, thanks so much for the information. I believe you must be right in your assumption, and I'll update the post with the new information. I've done some reading and looking over maps, and it looks like Rongpatsa may be part of Kardze County.

Another very helpful reader sent me some information on the truce of 1918, which gets a mention in Goldstein's "A History of Modern Tibet" - which in turn refers to Eric Teichman's "Travels of a consular officer in Eastern Tibet" published in 1922.

The latter book is a rare one, but my faithful reader pointed me to the digital archive where it may be viewed or downloaded: Travels of a consular officer in Eastern Tibet

The book has some great original maps and lots of good photographs as well. The conflict between Tibet and China, and the truce signed at Rongbatsa, looks to be well covered in this account. One map has just enabled me to locate the place, around 30 km. west of Kardze town. That puts it in Kardze County for sure.

Now I've got some reading to do, Teichman's journal is fascinating!

By  Agam, at 04 April, 2009 23:23  

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I have several articles/books that mention Rongpatsa, including several by Teichman and Goldstein, and van Walt van Praag. Peissel refers to the accord but not the place.
If you want I could send you the Lat/Long coordinates of Rongbatsa and I have the boundaries of Kardze on a GIS so I can easily check

By  John Studley, at 05 April, 2009 00:34  

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There is a map showing Rongbatsa at

http://www.khamaid.org/travel/garzemap.htm

It is roughly located at Lat 31.667994 and Long 99.718437

It is in Kardze County

By  John Studley, at 05 April, 2009 01:03  

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Thank you Nima for all your help here, it's much appreciated. I had added a placemark in my Google Earth for Rongbatsa, with the information I gained from that Teichman journal. Then I took the dogs out for a late walk.

I just got home, found your new comments, plugged the coordinates you gave into GE, and it's bang where I put it!

I've been building quite a good set of Tibetan placemarks since this time last year, but Tibet is a very huge country and I can always use some help. If you feel inclined to email me directly, please do (it's on the front page at the top).

And thanks again for helping me nail down one more location.

By  Agam, at 05 April, 2009 02:18  

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It amazes me that the United States are in debt to these monsters. Anyone with even a quarter of a brain and the slightest knowledge of history should be able to see that the ChiComs are NOT someone to have serious business dealings with. If they treat their own people this way (or people that they think are their own) and are so inept at lying about their actions, shouldn't that tell the US and the rest of the world to avoid having financial dealings with Beijing? But no, money makes the world go around.

By  Bob Sorensen, at 05 April, 2009 17:57  

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Not only that, but also the PRC's flexible adherence to principle in state-to-state dealings - though for them I think that may fall under business dealings as well.

India trusted them when she was still a very new country, and the Indians definitely learned a lesson there. I guess other countries have to learn the same lesson on their own.

The thing is, the US gov't has understood the CCP's 2-faced-ness (3? 4?) since way back. I just hope it doesn't become forgetful again under all this Dem control of everything.

Tibet now should be a primary example to every country of what the Chinese party-state really is. Besides the state violence against individuals (for their conscience), is the underlying ideological warfare which rivals that of the Cultural Revolution.

Which the pop media tends to regard as some sort of ancient history. Which is more of a short-term memory loss than long-term forgetfulness.

By  Agam, at 05 April, 2009 18:49  

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