Tibetan Information Office (TIO) is based in Canberra.

Update on Tibet Demonstrations, 20 Jun 2008

18 June 2008: Karze (Ch: Ganzi) County, Karze “TAP”, Kham (incorporated into Chinese province of Sichuan) – Two nuns severely beaten and arrested for staging a peaceful protest

Shitso, age 26, and Dhungtso, age around 20, both nuns from Gewa Drak nunnery in Karze county, were severely beaten and arrested by the Public Security Bureau (PSB) for peacefully protesting on 18 June at the county government office.

Gewa Drak nunnery has total of over 120 nuns. Two nuns from this nunnery were already arrested in April for their suspected involvement in protests.

Few days back, telephone lines of some households in Karze county have been also disconnected.

Nuns, who were earlier arrested from Karze county, were now taken to Dartsedo (Ch: Kangding) county in Karze “TAP”.

No Specific Date

Lhasa – Whereabouts of some arrested monks from Drepung monastery are unknown

Whereabouts of Pema Tsering, Pema and Samten, who were arrested on March 10 from the Drepung monastery in Lhasa, are unknown. They were visiting student monks of Drepung monastery, and born in Dingkha village in Chusang township, Toelung Dechen (Ch: Duilongdeqing) county, Lhasa Municipality.

Members of their families and relatives have enquired about them at every prison and detention centre in and around Lhasa, but they were found nowhere.

Also, whereabouts of Lobsang Wangchuk, Tashi, and his son Phuntsok Tsewang, all three from Drepung monastery, are unknown after they were arrested by the People’s Armed Police (PAP) from the Drepung monastery. Lobsang Wangchuk, a 45-year-old, was born in Lhasa. He was among those 90 monks who were collectively arrested in mid-April. Tashi was born in Lhokha and ordained as a Buddhist monk at an old age.

Lhasa – People, who participated in March protests, continue to be arrested

Tenchoe (or Tenzin Choedak), age 20, was arrested from his house by the Lhasa City Public Security Bureau in April as he was alleged to be one of the leaders of March protests in Lhasa. He was born in Lhasa, and his father’s name is Khedup.

He is well educated and has worked with an international NGO serving the Tibetan community of Lhasa. He, along with few other people of similar case, is about to be given arbitrary sentence.