TIBETAN SOLIDARITY COMMITTEE

 

 

Press Release         19th April 2008

 

Arbitrary Arrests continues unabated in Tibet

About 40 trucks filled with Chinese Police and Army proceeded to North of Lhasa at 3 AM local time of the 18th of April where Sera Monastery is located. According to reliable sources, the Police and the Army knocked on each of the residence of the Sera monks and arrested them. The doors and windows of the monks who refused to open the door were broken open and arrested. It is estimated that about 400 monks were arrested, most of them were in their night clothing. Denials of basic necessities were noticeable as many monks were in very poor health. Out of the total strength of 700 monks, only about 100 novice and old monks remain in the Sera monastery consequent to arrests over the last many days.

The abovementioned arrestees have been taken at night to Toelung area and concentrated in a brick kiln factory. The monks earlier arrested from Drepung monastery have been put up in a secret cave in Nyethang Area.

On the 17th, 20 monks from Tsang Monastery of Gepa Sumdo, Tsolho prefecture in Amdo have been arrested. Minimum of 57 monks have been arrested from this monastery so far.

In another unreported case, a performing artist, Dabhe from Amdo area was arrested on the 31st of March. He was accused of distributing large numbers of Tibetan National Flags and photographs of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. In another incident, Ngagchang Tsibha of Chentsa District returned back from the hills after many days on the 18th night and was arrested in the morning of the 19th when he was dressing up for the day.

In view of the critical situation in Tibet, we appeal the UN and international community of the urgent consideration of our following demands:

  1. Immediately dispatch independent fact finding delegations to Tibet
  2. Immediately allow free press to cover the whole of Tibet
  3. Immediately end the brutal killings in the whole of Tibet
  4. Immediately release all arrested and imprisoned Tibetans
  5. Extend immediate medical assistance to the injured Tibetans
  6. Allow free movement of people and provide access to daily needs

 - Tibetan Solidarity Committee