Tibetan Information Office (TIO) is based in Canberra.

Update on Tibet Demonstrations, 12 May 2008

7 May 2008: Ngapa (Ch: Aba) County, Ngapa “TAP”, Amdo (incorporated into Chinese province of Sichuan) – Thousands of PAP raided Labrang monastery and arrested 149 monks

Few thousands of People’s Armed Police (PAP) arrived, without any notice, at the Labrang monastery, Ngapa County, and conducted raid on 7 May. 149 monks were also arrested after the raid.

On 8 May, the remaining huge number of monks protested for the release of the arrested monks. Chinese authority, in order to avoid the protest to gain further intense, had to release all the monks, except 18.

However, Chinese authority had to further release 11 more monks in the morning on 9 May, out of 18 who were still in arrest, as a result of continue demand from the monks of the Labrang monastery.

Those monks who were arrested first were severely beaten. Jigme and Thapkhey, both monks, suffered more beatings than the other monks.

7 May 2008

Karze (Ch: Ganzi) County, Karze “TAP”, Kham (incorporated into Chinese province of Sichuan) – Two arrested for shouting slogans

Lhadruk (nun) and PayPay (a former nun), both from Dragkar nunnery, in Serchu Teng township, Karze County, were arrested by the Public Security Bureau (PSB) on 7 May for shouting slogans such as “Tibet is an independent county”, “Long live His Holiness the Dalai Lama” in county headquarters in the afternoon of 5 May. Further details are not available.

3 May 2008

Dzamthang (Ch: Rangtang) County, Ngapa (Ch: Aba) “TAP”, Amdo (incorporated into Chinese province of Sichuan) – Two monks from Sangloong monastery arrested for pleading release of a fellow monk

Paljor and Dorjee Drakpa, both monks from Sangloong monastery, in Dzamthang County, were arrested and beaten by the PSB for pleading release of a fellow monk Kunchok at the PSB’s county office.

Kunchok was arrested on 29 April for shouting slogans in front of the local PSB office.