Prime Minister Julia Gillard urged to raise the issue of Chinese government repression on Kirti Monastery in Tibet during her visit to China from 25 – 27 April 2011.
DHARAMSHALA: In a letter to prime minister Gillard on 20 April, the All Party Parliamentary Group for Tibet of the Australian Parliament briefed her about the events
The members of the parliamentary group, Michael Danby, Peter Slipper, Warren Entsch, Scott Ludlam and Melissa Parke expressed hope that prime minister would raise the crackdown on Kirti Monastery and other the human rights abuses with the Chinese government.
The Chinese government has sealed off Kirti Monastery by deploying armed security forces to crackdown on Tibetans following the death of Phuntsog, 21-year-old monk of the monastery who set himself on fire on 16 March this year to remember those who participated in the wide-spread and peaceful protests that shook Tibet in 2008. Instead of putting out the flames, the police beat the which was one of the causes of his tragic death.
The peaceful protests by the Tibetans over the Chinese government heavy-handed approach resulted in this massive blockade of Kirti Monastery. In the subsequent crackdown, many Tibetans were severely beaten and arrested.
Moreover, patriotic education campaign was forced on monks with indefinite ban on normal religious activities at the monastery since 20 March.
As the Chinese security forces lay siege on Kirti monastery, a large group of Tibetans stood guard at the Kirti monastery to prevent the Chinese police from taking away monks for detention. The Tibetans gathered at the monastery, who were mostly elders, were severely beaten by the police as they attempted to resist the police from taking away around 300 monks in around 10 military trucks on the night of 21 April. The crowd was dispersed by the police who indulged in indiscriminate beating. Two elderly Tibetans, Dongko, aged 60, and Sherkyi, 65, died due to severe beating. Some 300 monks have been removed from the monastery and are detained at unknown locations.