Nmber of known arrest and Demonstrations recorded for the year 1996


Date Particulars Comments

 

-/1/96 Arrested - 9 monks of Palgon Chorten in Gyangtse. For burning photos of Gyaltsen Norbu, the Chinese appointed Panchen Lama rival.

18/1/96 Arrested - 2 Tibetans in Shigatse. For "communicating with the Dalai Lama regarding the Panchen Lama reincarnation issue.

-/1/96 Arrested - 3 monks of Rabten Monastery in Diru County under Nagchu District. The three monks, Lobsang Tenchong 17 years, Lobsang Tharchin 18 years and Lobsang Choenjor 18 years were publicly paraded on two occasions. Arrested for pasting wall posters and refusing to accept Gyaltsen Norbu, the Chinese appointed Panchen Lama rival.

-/3/96 Arrested - Jigme Gyatso, alias Gangya Jigme - 34 year old Amdo businessman and Jamyang Tsultrim (layname- Tashi Tsering) 27 year old Amdo monk in Lhasa. For distributing leaflets demanding independence. Reported to be in "TAR"s Prison No. 3. Sangyip. (Ref: Human Rights Update- June 30, 1996).

-/3/96 Arrested - 25 student monks arrested from "Nga-rig Kye-tsel-Ling" school at Kumbum Monastery in Amdo. Dhamchoe Gyatso -27 year; Jigme Tendar- 29; Dhamchoe Kaldan- 31 and Phuntsok -25 years old. All except 4 of them were released on May 5, '96. The monks were arrested for pasting wall posters and leaflets and for producing a literature magazine which was banned. (Ref: TIN News Update- Aug 30, 1996).

-/3/96 Arrested - 3 monks of Chamdo Monastery. Arrested for pasting "Free Tibet" posters.

-/3-4/96 Arrested - A group of people from Tsarong, Sog District. Arrested for pasting "Free Tibet" posters and for their refusal to accept the Chinese appointed Panchen Lama rival.

-/7/96 Arrested- 7 monks of Karze Monastery. Two of the monks: Pasang - 32 years and Topgyal- 20 years are both from Yokzok village in Karze. Arrested for distributing "Free Tibet" pamphlets. Five of the arrested monks released after a week. (Ref: Human Rights Update - July 15, '96 & Human Rights Update- September 30, 1996).

-/5/96 Arrested - 85-90 monks of Ganden Monastery. 85-90 For protesting ban on the Dalai Lama' pictures in May 1996. (Ref: TIN News Update- Nov 27, 1996). The ban was strongly resisted by the majority of the monks. In the ensuing firing by the Chinese armed police, two monks were injured while another died later.

-/5-6/96 Arrested Bhu Chung Chung, 25-30 years old teacher at Gyangtse Primary School. For printing and distributing long life prayers for Gendun Choekyi Nyima, composed by the Dalai Lama. Detained at Dun-Chog Dre Detention Centre, Gyantse. (Ref: Human Rights Update June 30, 1996).

-/6/96 Arrested - 2 Tibetans in Amdo Ngaba - Lobsang Jamyang, 50 years old monk of Kirti Monastery from Thawa village and Gonpo, 43 years old. For pasting wall posters and distributing pamphlets calling for independence. Wooden printing blocks inscribed with "Tibetan Independence" found in Gonpo's house. (Ref: Human Rights Update- October 31, 1996).

13-14/6/96 Arrested - 4 nuns of Lhasa Tsang Khung Monastery. Namdol Choesang- 16 years from Toelung; Phuntsok - 18 years from Phenpo; Yangdrol -18 from Phenpo and Pema -16 from Kongpo. Arrested for demonstrating in the Bharkor area, raising slogans of "Free Tibet". Detained in Drapchi. (Ref: Human Rights Update September 30, 1996).

1/7/96 Arrested - 4 nuns of Chubsang Nunnery. Phuntsok Youdron- 20 years from Meldo Gongkar; Thinley Yangkyi -18 years from Rading; Nyida Wangmo -17 years from Lhokha. Name of 4th nun is not known. Arrested for demonstrating in the Bharkor area of Lhasa. (Ref: Human Rights Update - Nov 30, '96; Vol 1 No.2).

2/7/96 Arrested - 4 more nuns of Chubsang Nunnery. Jamphel -22 years and Lobsang Choedon - 17 years both from Taktse; & Tsering Lhamo - 20 years from Rading. Name of 4th nun is not known. Arrested for demonstrating in the Bharkor area. (Ref: Human Rights Update - Nov 30, '96; Vol 1 No.2).

5/7/96 Sera, Drepung and Drepung Monastery voluntarily closed to express strong protest against the events that took place in Ganden Monastery regarding the ban on photos of the Dalai Lama. A protest against the banning of the Dalai Lama's photos. No arrests recorded.

5/7/96 Arrested - Lama Jigme Sangpo of Golok Sethar Nubsur Monastery. Arrested for pasting wall posters calling for "Free Tibet". Ref: Human Rights Update -Sept 30, '96).

6/7/96 Arrested- 8 nuns of Garu Nunnery, north of Lhasa. Arrested by PSB & PAP officials who beat up the nuns before taking them to prison. Arrested for staging an independence demonstration coinciding with the 61st birth anniversary of the Dalai Lama, in front of the Jokhang temple in Lhasa.

6/7/96 Arrested - 2 men in front of the Jokhang Temple. Arrested for shouting independence slogans. They were arrested and taken away in a mini truck. Whereabouts not known.

18/7/96 Arrested- 5 people at Sera Monastery. Lobsang Sherap (layname- Norbu) caretaker; Ngawang Woser (layname-Buchung) from Toelung; Kalsang, 33 years from Nyemo. Also a boy and a girl working as printers at the monastery (names not known). Arrested for pasting wall posters with slogans of "Free Tibet" "Denial of religious freedom" "Human rights in Tibet" etc (Ref: Human Rights Update -Sept 30, 1996).

-/7/96 Arrested - 4 more monks of Sera Monastery. Lobsang Nyima (layname -Migmar Yugyal),40 years from Tsang Rinpung; Bhu Tsering - 30 years from Phenpo; Lobsang Samten -25 years from Meldo Gongkar & Tashi Pheldar, care-taker at Sera. Arrested for protesting against the Work Inspection Team's campaign of "patriotic education". (Ref: Human Rights Update -September 30, 1996).

-/8/96 Arrested - Yungdrung - 24/25 year old Tibetan artist. Detained in Gutsa for 58 days. Found in a traumatised condition in a public toilet in the Bharkor, Lhasa on October 27, 1996. Arrested in connection with his portraits of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan national flag. (Ref: TIN News Update - November 25, 1996).

23/8/96 Arrested- Gendun Gyaltsen, monk of Sakya Monastery. Arrested for possession of pictures and cassette tapes of the Dalai Lama in his room. (Ref: TIN News Update - November 27, 1996).

25/8/96 Arrested - 3 Tibetans in Chamdo region. Source: Radio Lhasa Broadcast of October 6, 1996. Arrested for counter-revolutionary activities". The Lhasa Radio broadcast mentioned the arrest of 164 criminals in the Chamdo region. We mention only 3 cases as it is not clear whether the others arrested were in connection with political activity.

1/9/96 Arrested - Tenchok Tenphel, 27 year old monk of Sakya Monastery. Died two weeks later on Sept 14, 1996. Arrested for political reasons. Died in the Sakya Detention Centre due to torture. Cause of death given as "suicide". (Ref: Human Rights Update-Oct 31, 96).

-/8 10/96 Arrested- 13 monks of Drepung Monastery. Yeshi Jangchub -23 years, Ngawang Sangpo-30 years, & Gyaltsen Yeshi -20 years all from Meldro Gongkar county; Ngawang Tharchin- 25 years & Ngawang Lhundup from Dhamshung county; Ngawang Shakya & Jamphel Wangchug from Rinpung county; Phuntsok Tashi, Phuntsok Jamdhen & Ngawang Gyatso - 34 years from Phenpo Lhundrup county; Thinley Kaldan from Chushul county; Ngawang Thupwang from Lhokha Danang county & Ngawang Choegyal from Kham (Eastern Tibet). Arrested during the period of the "Work Inspection Team's" "re-education campaign. The monks were arrested for disagreement with the Work Inspection Team, particularly for refusing to denounce the Dalai Lama and for pasting wall posters calling for a "Free Tibet"

-/11/96 Arrested- 6 monks of Sera Monastery. Arrested for disagreement with the "Work Inspection Team" stationed in the Monastery.

-/10-11/96 Arrested - Lhundrup Palden, monk of Ganden Choekor Monastery in Ringon, Namling county 50 km north-east of Shigatse & two of his students. Arrested for distributing long prayers for Gendun Choekyi Nyima composed by the Dalai Lama.

No. of Arrests: monks: 172 nuns: 20 lay: 12

TOTAL: 204

NOTE: It is to be noted that most of the above information on arrests and demonstrations have been reported from Central Tibet, what the Chinese have defined as the "Tibet Autonomous Region". The above statistics do not represent the true figures of the number of arrests in 1996, as these are only the known cases recorded. Due to strict control in Tibet, reception of information is particularly difficult. Reporting on any such incident may endanger the lives of the people inside Tibet.

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Last updated: 14-Feb-97