Tibetan Information Office (TIO) is based in Canberra.

Update on Tibet Demonstrations, 11 July 2008

4 July 2008: Lithang (Ch: Litang) County, Karze “TAP” (incorporated into a Chinese province of Sichuan) – Chinese authorities decide to hold Summer Festival of horse race for political purpose

Around 4 July, the concerned senior officials of the Lithang county-consisting of the Secretary of the Communist Party, the head of the county, and the head of the county Public Security Bureau-held a closed-door meeting.

During the meeting, they decided to hold the upcoming annual Summer Festival of horse race on 1 August in the Lithang county and also discussed about making a strict security arrangement with the deployment of a huge Chinese forces. The reception of the Chinese forces was also discussed.

As a mass protest erupted during the last Summer Festival in the Lithang county, the Chinese authorities were likely to ban this year’s festival as reported by the sources. However, due to the recent unrest in Tibet, the Chinese authorities decided to hold this horse race festival in order to convey to the world that stability has been restored in the area.

No Specific Date

Karze (Ch: Karze) County, Karze “TAP” (incorporated into a Chinese province of Sichuan) – Chinese authorities depose disciplinary incharge of the Karze monastery

At the beginning of July, the Chinese authorities deposed Ngodup Phuntsok from being a disciplinary incharge of the Karze monastery in the Karze county.

He was deposed for leading prayer meetings of the monks of his monastery for all those Tibetans who have suffered the recent brutal clampdown and also for opposing the hoisting of the Chinese flag on their monastery’s rooftop.