News
Press Release - March 16, 2008
On March 10, 2008 on the occasion of the 49th anniversary of the Tibetan Uprising of 1959, hundreds of monks from Drepung Monastery near the Tibetan capital Lhasa defied authorities by staging a peaceful protest. They demanded an end to religious restrictions and the release of imprisoned monks from Sera Monastery detained earlier in the month for waving a Tibetan flag and shouting pro- independence slogans. While marching towards the city, the Drepung monks were stopped by large numbers of Chinese police, and media reports estimated that around 50 monks were detained. On the same day, about 400 monks from Lutsang monastery in the north western part of Tibet also protested and shouted "Free Tibet" slogans and for the return of their spiritual leader the Dalai Lama. There were also reports of upto 14 monks from Sera Monastery and three laymen and woman being detained on the same day during a protest in the city where they called for Tibet's independence and waved the forbidden Tibetan Flag. There were also reports of protest in Ditsa Monastery in Bayan (in Chinese, Hualong) county on March 10 and the monastery was quickly sealed.On March 11, 500-600 protesting monks from the nearby Sera Monastery, two miles north of Lhasa called for the release of the monks arrested a day earlier. They were met by approximately 2000 armed police and tear gassed. At that point the monks staged a peaceful seven hour sit-in. Three monks were detained and the Monastery sealed and surrounded by People's Armed Police. As of now all three major monasteries are totally sealed. Two monks from Drepung, Kalsang and Damchoe attempted suicide in desperation by stabbing themselves in the chest, hands and wrists. Both refused to be moved to the hospital but were taken to the monastery clinic. They are said to be in critical condition and not expected to survive.
As of March 14, the situation turned for the worst. With the monasteries sealed and the monks detained, monks form the ancient Ramoche temple in central Lhasa attempted to stage a demonstration and police tried to prevent them from getting onto the street. Hundreds of lay Tibetans rallied around them. The Chinese Police responded with paramilitary trucks and armored tanks and the Tibetans resorted to throwing rocks at them. As of yesterday, there were reports that at least 100 Tibetan protestors have been killed and many more injured. These protests have spread from Lhasa all over Tibet both in intensity and scale. In Sangchu county in Gansu Province, around 2:00 PM on March 14 thousands of Tibetan monks and lay people took to the streets carrying the Tibetan flag and shouted for Tibetan independence. The Chinese police fired live ammunition in the air and began firing shots later as it became very intensive. The number of killed or injured is not known.
As of now, Chinese military vehicles are patrolling the Lhasa streets and martial law has been imposed.
We urge the international community to condemn the Chinese repressive act and we as Tibetan Americans demand that China:
1. Release all Tibetans who have been arrested or detained;
2. Allow demonstrators to exercise their right to freedom of expression and assembly;
3. Refrain from excessive use of force against the Tibetans;
4.Allow international media complete access to Tibet.
Regional Tibetan Youth Congress
Portland/Vancouver
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