Press Release

June 30, 2008

Four Bheri monks arrested

According to reliable sources, two monks of Bheri monastery in Karze county were on June 24 arbitrarily arrested for their alleged involvement in graffiti calling for Tibet's independence, that was found written on the walls of the monastery. The monks, Kalsang Yeshi (27) and Tashi Dhondup (30) had earlier on June 13 - 14 resisted the activities of patriotic education work team that demanded from each monk of Bheri monastery to denounce His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Before the arrest the Chinese security forces searched the monks' quarters for incriminating materials.

The same day, Chinese authorities also arrested another two monks from the same Bheri monastery. The monks, Gatruk Dorje (41) and Wangchuk Dorje (39) were blamed of having setting alight a nearby Bheri Bridge on the Zachu (Ch: Yangtse) river. The situation in the monastery is tense and repressive.

In our Press Release of June 2, we had informed about the release in early May of some monks and nuns of Ganden Choekhor monastery and Shar Bhumpa nunnery in Phenpo county and their subsequent readmission into their respective institutes following pressure from the local Tibetans. However, the authorities have refused to readmit some nuns from the above nunnery following their release this month and have instead ordered them to return to their homes.

Out of those monks arrested in April from the Sakya Nalanda monastery in Phenpo county, two monks have been reportedly released of late. One of the monks is identified only by his pet name Monpa. On their release, however, the monks were found physically disabled with the amount of beatings they suffered at the hands of prison officials. The monks have disclosed that they were forced to kneel on gravels with tiers of vehicles fixed around their necks while the prison guards keep on beating. Some nuns of a branch of the above monastery, Phende nunnery, have also complained about similar treatment in the prison on their release. Many of the nuns have been now rendered partially disabled, sources have added.

In view of the ongoing critical situation inside Tibet, we urge the United Nations and the International community and organizations to the following urgent needs:

1. To immediately send an independent international fact-finding mission into Tibet
2. To exert pressure on the PRC government to allow unfettered access to free press in whole of Tibet
3. To pressure the PRC to end the brutal killings in the whole of Tibet
4. To immediately release all the arrested and imprisoned Tibetans
5. To extend immediate medical assistance to those injured Tibetans
6. To allow free movement of people and provide access to daily needs

 - Tibetan Solidarity Committee