29 April 2008: Tawu (Ch: Daofu) County, Karze “TAP,” Kham (incorporated into Chinese province of Sichuan) –
Without any warning or justification, the People?s Security Bureau (PSB) officials arrested Nyima Drakpa (age 41) in Bardzi Township. Nyima Drakpa is a former monk of Nya-tso monastery in Tawu County. In 1998, he was arrested for suspicion of being one of the first people to stick pro-independence posters in Tawu County.
Lhasa- Business as usual: Chinese Court imposes arbitrary sentences on 30 Tibetans
On 29 April, a Chinese court imposed arbitrary sentences on 30 Tibetans involved in the recent protests in Tibet. Three of them were given life imprisonment sentences and seven were given sentences for over 15 years and the remaining twenty were given three to fourteen year sentences.
Contrary to the Chinese allegations that the 30 Tibetans sentences were involved in the March 14 protests in Lhasa, Pasang (Religious name: Ngawang Ignyen, who has been given a life-imprisonment sentence) and most of the individuals who were given 15 year sentences are monks from Dhingkha monastery, Toelung (Ch: Duilongdeqing) County. A few other individuals from the 30 sentenced are from Phenpo Lhundup (Ch: Lingzhi) County. At Toelung County and Phenpo Lhundup County, protests only took place after March 14, therefore those sentenced cannot be linked to the March 14 protests in Lhasa.
A person from Toelung County, who wishes to remain anonymous, has pointed out that the sentences imposed for same “crimes“ are not consistent. He pointed out that those who live in villages are given longer sentences.
28 April 2008
Sershul (Ch: Shiqu) County, Karze “TAP,” Sichuan Province- Continued repression leads Tibetan woman to commit suicide
A raid was conducted by the People?s Armed Police (PAP) at a village near Voen-po Gaden Dho-ngak Shedup Dhargeyling. During the raid, altars that had portraits of His Holiness the Dalai Lama were mishandled. During one such incident, a girl by the name of T. Lhamo boldly shouted that His Holiness the Dalai Lama is our supreme protector and that His Holiness should be immediately welcomed back to Tibet. She also shouted Long Live His Holiness the Dalai Lama. She demanded the reasons why Tibetans could not have the portrait of His Holiness the Dalai Lama at their altars. In addition, she also demanded an explanation for the arbitrary arrests of A-drel Lama Rinpoche and monks of the local monastery.
T. Lhamo later committed suicide by strangling herself with a rope.
The death toll now stands at 205.