International Campaign for Tibet
Following recent high-level diplomacy by the Dalai Lama, and increased tensions in
Below is an article by The International Campaign for
Tensions have increased in the Kardze (Chinese: Ganzi) area of eastern Tibet, present-day Sichuan province, with the execution of a Tibetan prisoner that may be linked to the political crackdown following a protest in support of the Dalai Lama by nomad Runggye Adak in August [2007].
This report documents the following new developments in the region:
- Further detentions of Tibetans, including a young art teacher, a local nomad who expressed support for Runggye Adak and the Dalai Lama, and a senior monk respected for his commitment to Tibetan education, in the Lithang area
- An increased and intimidatory military presence in the two neighboring counties of Lithang and Kardze, both in
- An intensified political campaign that requires Tibetan monks, nuns, laypeople and children to denounce the Dalai Lama. The stepping up of this anti-Dalai Lama campaign in the region coincides with a period when the Dalai Lama himself is increasingly received by world leaders and respected for his leadership on peace and non-violence.
According to reports received by ICT, a Tibetan named Kunjam was executed on or around September 14 [2007] in Lithang (Chinese: Litang). Kunjam had initially been detained in 2003, because of his involvement in a fight with two Chinese men over an issue of land according to one report from a Tibetan source. The two Chinese men were apparently investigating the possibility of mineral extraction at a local mountain that is regarded by Tibetans as a holy site. […] [R]eports received by ICT indicate that his execution was hasty and unexpected, and may have been linked to the authorities’ hardline approach towards political dissent in his local area through August and September [2007].
The current crackdown in Lithang follows the protest by nomad Runggye Adak in front of an audience of thousands at the Lithang horse racing festival on August 1 [2007]. In an apparently unconnected incident, a fortnight before Runggye Adak’ protest, the wording ‘Complete independence’ (Tibetan: ‘Rang Btsan Gtsang Ma’) had been written on the entrance gate to the festival area.
Tibetans in
The stepping up of an anti-Dalai Lama campaign in the neighboring counties of Lithang and Kardze, with more stringent requirements than usual for both the monastic community and laypeople to denounce their religious leader, coincides with a period when the Dalai Lama himself is increasingly respected on the world stage for his leadership on peace and non-violence. Next week, on October 17 [2007], U.S. President Bush will become the first sitting U.S. President to meet the Dalai Lama publicly, when the Dalai Lama is honored with the Congressional Gold Medal in Washington, DC. On September 23 [2007], German Chancellor Angela Merkel met the Dalai Lama in Berlin, becoming the first German chancellor to do so despite stern reprimands from Beijing and warnings that it could damage economic contacts. Austrian Chancellor Alfred Gusenbauer has also recently met the Dalai Lama, and
The detention of an art and music teacher at
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Runggye Adak, who staged the protest at the Lithang horse festival in front of an audience of thousands, was originally detained in the police detention center in Lithang town, but has reportedly been moved closer to the provincial capital of
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During his protest, which emphasized the importance of the Dalai Lama’s return to
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According to reports from sources close to unfolding events in the area, Chinese cadres have presided over political sessions in Lithang monastery, and in local government offices as well as with leaders of nomad groups. During these meetings, Tibetans have been told that they must denounce the Dalai Lama or risk imprisonment. One Tibetan source said: "The main points of the meeting are always the same: denounce His Holiness the Dalai Lama, oppose the ‘separatist clique’. […]
An American Buddhist scholar and practitioner who has traveled frequently to
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During one meeting last week, a senior Tibetan monk at Lithang monastery reportedly refused to denounce the Dalai Lama. There are reports from the area of other refusals from Tibetans to submit to the demands of the cadres carrying out the patriotic education sessions. Feelings are running high in the area, and some sources have expressed fears that the crackdown may worsen due to the confrontational strategies used by the authorities.
Officials carrying out a new ‘patriotic education’ campaign in Lithang from the first week of September have warned local people that they must not keep any photographs of the Dalai Lama on their home shrine or in monasteries, and that government workers could risk losing their jobs if they worship at local monasteries. […]
According to information received by ICT, several weeks before Runggye Adak’s protest, the Chinese authorities circulated a petition at Lithang monastery for monks to sign saying that they did not want the Dalai Lama to return to
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Since the incident, it has become increasingly dangerous for Tibetans to speak about the situation due to increased security in the area and the authorities' attempts to prevent news about the unrest reaching the outside world. Telephone calls to and from Lithang have been subject to extra monitoring during the past few weeks, and Tibetans are being threatened with repercussions if they speak about the incident and the detentions to anyone.
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Despite the atmosphere of oppression, Tibetans appear to have been determined to express their views peacefully and without using violence. The same source told ICT: "The courage of Tibetans inside
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