19.09.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Tibetan Buddhists and Uighur Muslims experienced societal discrimination not only because of their religious beliefs but also because of their status as ethnic minorities ("International Religious Freedom Report 2008") [ID 24852]

"Religious and ethnic minority groups such as Tibetan Buddhists and Uighur Muslims experienced societal discrimination not only because of their religious beliefs but also because of their status as ethnic minorities with distinct languages and cultures. After the March 2008 protests in Lhasa and other Tibetan areas there were reports of increased tensions between Tibetan Buddhists and Hui Muslims."

Document(s): Open document

19.09.2008 - Source: US Department of State

Lhasa: In March protests by Tibetans escalated into violence, with attacks perpetrated against Han and Hui people, and vandalism perpetrated against Han- and Hui-owned businesses, property, and residences ("International Religious Freedom Report 2008") [ID 24989]

"On March 14, 2008, protests by Tibetans in Lhasa escalated into violence, with attacks perpetrated against Han and Hui people, and vandalism perpetrated against Han- and Hui-owned businesses, property, and residences. After state media programs showed Tibetans engaging in unprovoked attacks on Han and Hui, citizens inside and outside the TAR reacted with anti-Tibetan sentiment. Domestic media coverage of the events in Lhasa on March 14 repeatedly showed rioting Tibetans beating Han and Hui residents and burning government or other buildings but did not show actions by security forces against Tibetan civilians. Official PRC news agencies reported that 19 Han residents of Lhasa, including 1 police officer, were targeted by rioters due to their ethnicity and killed during the riots, and 3 Tibetans were killed in the rioting. Domestic media attributed the violence in Lhasa to a small minority of outside agitators led by the Dalai Lama and intent on achieving independence for Tibet.
Friction between Tibetan Buddhists and the growing Hui Muslim population in Tibetan areas intensified during the reporting period. Tibetans burned part of a mosque in Lhasa during the March 14 riot; in August 2007 Tibetan monks destroyed a mosque under construction in a majority Tibetan area in Gabde County, Qinghai Province."

Document(s): Open document

31.07.2008 - Source: Human Rights in China

Authorities have stepped up security measures in Tibet and Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) in an effort to prevent any unrest ("Monthly brief; July 2008") [ID 24670]

"Authorities have stepped up security measures in Tibet and Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) in an effort to prevent any unrest. In Shanghai, certain activists have been prevented from leaving the city ahead of the Olympics,[21] while in Beijing, activists, dissidents, and intellectuals have been encouraged to “travel outside Beijing” during the games.[22] At the same time, China has been accused of exaggerating the terrorism threat, with experts and activists pointing to the lack of concrete evidence made public and warning that terrorism can be used as a guise to harass political activists, religious practitioners, and petitioners.[...]
On July 6, Tian Yixiang, head of the Beijing Olympic Games Security Protection Coordination Group, said that the three major threats to the Beijing Olympic Games were all domestic in origin and included Uyghur militants campaigning for independence, Tibetan independence groups, and Falun Gong members.[25] Previously, Vice Minister of Public Security Meng Hongwei had said that the three main Olympics threats were international terrorists, Uyghur separatists, and “serious crimes.”[26] In line with these threats, hotel operators in Beijing have reported being told to notify authorities when ethnic minorities such as Uyghurs or Tibetans check in and surveillance of these groups has increased in Shanghai as well"

Document(s): Open document

06.2008 - Source: Congressional-Executive Commission on China

Communication disruptions in Tibetan Areas impede flow of information ("China Human Rights and Rule of Law Update (June 2008)") [ID 23952]

"Cell phone, landline, and Internet transmissions have reportedly been disrupted in Tibetan areas of western China, according to foreign media, overseas Tibetan groups, and the blog of a noted Tibetan writer in reports from mid-March to late April. The disruptions come amidst protests by Tibetans that began on March 10. It is unclear to what extent the measures are necessary to protect security in those areas, but their effect, along with other measures such as the ban on foreign journalists entering large parts of western China, have made it difficult to access and confirm information about the protests.
Both the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) and Xinhua have reported that local police have confiscated communication equipment such as cell phones, cameras, fax machines, receivers for overseas TV channels, and computers from multiple monasteries in Sichuan and Gansu provinces. (See April 1 and April 5 TCHRD articles, and March 29 and April 16 Xinhua articles.) The Xinhua articles noted that the police also confiscated various weapons and explosives from the monasteries. Woeser (or Weise, Oezer), a noted Tibetan writer who has used her Chinese blog to feature frequent updates on the protests, reported in an April 28 entry that military police confiscated cameras and cell phones from a Qinghai province monastery on April 19."

Document(s): Open document

28.05.2008 - Source: Amnesty International

Freedom of religion, expression and association of Tibetans continued to be severely restricted ("Annual Report 2008") [ID 23548]

"Freedom of religion, expression and association of Tibetans continued to be severely restricted. The State Administration for Religious Affairs established government control over the identification and training of Tibetan Buddhist teachers throughout China. Peaceful expressions of support for the Dalai Lama continued to be harshly punished. Efforts to pass information abroad about crackdowns against Tibetans were harshly punished.
Some 40 Tibetan children were detained by police in Gansu Province for writing pro-Tibetan independence slogans on walls. Eyewitnesses said that four of the boys were bruised and dazed, and that one of them was repeatedly taken away at night, returning in the morning appearing battered and unable to speak.
Runggye Adak, a Tibetan nomad who during a cultural festival publicly called for the Dalai Lama’s return to Tibet, was sentenced to eight years in prison for “inciting to split the country” and “severely disrupting public order”. Three others were jailed for 10, nine and three years on charges of “colluding with foreign separatist forces to split the country and distributing political pamphlets” for their efforts to send information to overseas organizations about Runggye Adak’s arrest."

Document(s): Open document

05.05.2008 - Source: Congressional-Executive Commission on China

Censorship of Internet and foreign news broadcasts following Tibetan protests ("China Human Rights and Rule of Law Update (May 2008)") [ID 23955]

"Foreign media in mid-March reported incidents of censorship of the Internet and international news broadcasts in China following Tibetan protests that began on March 10. The Chinese government and Internet companies operating in China routinely censor political content on the Internet in China, but the recent actions indicate stepped up efforts to control access to information about the protests. About a week after the protests started, foreign news media in China noted that access to foreign Web sites had been blocked, video Web sites and search engine results appeared to be censored, and foreign news broadcasts were temporarily blacked out. [...]"

Document(s): Open document

10.04.2008 - Source: Congressional Research Service

Report on current situation in Tibet ("Tibet: Problems, Prospects, and U.S. Policy [RL34445]") [ID 24161]

Demonstrations and resistance, Tibetan-Chinese political history, history of U.S. policy

Document(s): Open document

23.05.2007 - Source: Amnesty International

Tibetans in the Tibet Autonomous Region and other areas experienced severe restrictions on their rights to freedom of religious belief, expression and association, and discrimination in employment ("Annual Report 2007") [ID 20018]

"Tibetans in the Tibet Autonomous Region and other areas experienced severe restrictions on their rights to freedom of religious belief, expression and association, and discrimination in employment. Many were detained or imprisoned for observing their religion or expressing opinions, including Tibetan Buddhist monks and nuns. Excessive use of force against Tibetans seeking to flee repression in Tibet continued. In September witnesses saw Chinese border patrol guards shooting at a group of Tibetans attempting to reach Nepal. At least one child was confirmed killed.

• Woeser, a leading Tibetan intellectual, had her weblog shut down several times after she raised questions about China's role in Tibet.

• Sonam Gyalpo, a former monk, was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment in mid-2006 for "endangering state security" after the authorities found videos of the Dalai Lama and other "incriminating materials" in his house. His family learned of his trial and sentencing when they tried to visit him in detention."

Document(s): Open document
Open document

02.2007 - Source: Minority Rights Group International

Continual reports of violence against Tibetan political prisoners, ranging from beatings to gender-based violence ("Minority Exclusion, Marginalization and Rising Tensions") [ID 21152]

"There have been continual reports of violence against Tibetan political prisoners, ranging from beatings to gender-based violence. Two Tibetan nuns, who were formerly imprisoned for five years at the Gutsa Detention Centre97 in Lhasa, told HRIC that they were arrested at the ages of 15 and 17 and tortured during interrogation before being imprisoned on subversion charges for shouting at a protest, ‘Tibetans need human rights! Human rights for Tibetans’!"

Document(s): Open document

01.2007 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Tibetans ("World Report 2007") [ID 18574]

"Chinese authorities view the Dalai Lama, in exile in India since 1959, as the linchpin of the effort to separate Tibet from China and view Tibetan Buddhist belief as supportive of his efforts.

Suspected “separatists,” many of whom come from monasteries and nunneries, are routinely imprisoned. In January 2006, Gendun, a Tibetan monk, received a four-year prison sentence for opinions expressed in his lectures on Tibetan history and culture.

In June 2006, five Tibetans, including two nuns, were detained for publishing and distributing independence leaflets. In July, Namkha Gyaltsen, a monk, received an eight-year sentence for his independence activities. In August, armed police detained Khenpo Jinpa, an abbot. In September, Lobsang Palden, another monk, was charged with “initiating separatist activities.”

On September 30, Chinese People’s Armed Police shot at a group of approximately 40 Tibetan refugees attempting to cross the border into Nepal, killing a 17-year-old nun, Kelsang Namtso, and possibly others. The rest of the group fled, though witnesses reported seeing Chinese soldiers marching approximately 10 children back to a nearby camp. The official press agency Xinhua claimed that the soldiers were “forced to defend themselves,” but film footage showed soldiers calmly taking aim and shooting from afar at a column of people making their way through heavy snow.

In spite of plans for economic development of Tibetan regions, the opening of the Qinghai-Lhasa railroad in July 2006 exacerbated concerns among Tibetans that they would be unable to compete economically with an anticipated influx of Han migrants."

Document(s): Open document

12.2006 - Source: Congressional-Executive Commission on China

Dalai Lama's special envoy describes status of discussions with Chinese government ("China Human Rights and Rule of Law Update (December 2006)") [ID 19566]

"Lodi Gyaltsen Gyari, the Dalai Lama's Special Envoy, described the obstacles affecting the dialogue between the Dalai Lama's representatives and Chinese officials during a November 14 address at the Brookings Institution in Washington, D.C. Gyari's prepared statement, available on the Brookings Institution Web site, explains that his remarks were offered in part to respond to Chinese news media articles (see, e.g., Xinhua, July 28, 2006) and official briefings to foreign diplomats that, according to Gyari, "led to the circulation of speculative, uninformed, and one-sided information about some of the important issues at stake." Gyari's statement, "Seeking Unity Through Equality: The Current Status of Discussions Between His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Government of the People’s Republic of China," is more detailed than statements made by Gyari after the previous five rounds of dialogue between representatives of the Dalai Lama and the Chinese government. [...]

Gyari acknowledged that differences between the Tibetans and Chinese officials are "seemingly insurmountable," but he asserted in the statement that the Dalai Lama's "unambiguous commitment to the integrity and sovereignty of [China]" should encourage Chinese leaders to accept "the aspirations of the Tibetans to survive as a distinct people." The Chinese government’s distrust of the Dalai Lama, he said, is "one of the most critical obstacles" that Tibetans face in the dialogue process. Gyari pointed out that the Dalai Lama's offer to visit China on a religious pilgrimage is facing "considerable opposition from Tibetans, both inside and outside Tibet," but he said the Dalai Lama believes that such a visit would help both sides to find common ground and build trust.

Qin Gang, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) Spokesman, responded to a question about Gyari's statements at the Brookings Institution during a December 7 scheduled press conference, according to a December 8 MFA transcript. "The person you mentioned and the group he represents have long been in exile and engaged in the activities aimed at splitting the motherland and undermining national unity," Qin stated. He repeated the Chinese government position that the Dalai Lama and his representatives should "genuinely renounce their proposition for Tibet independence and completely stop all the activities in an attempt to split the motherland.""

Document(s): Open document

26.10.2006 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Attack by police unit on Tibetan refugees reportedly resulted in the killing of at least one girl near the Nepali border ("Permit Independent Investigation into Shooting of Tibetan Refugees") [ID 17872]

Document(s): Open document

12.10.2006 - Source: Amnesty International

Chinese border control guards shoot at group of Tibetans trying to flee to Nepal; at least 2 children thought to have been killed; 9 children, thought to be aged between 6 and 10, and one man detained by authorities, around 20 other individuals unaccounted for ("Urgent Action 277/06 [ASA 17/054/2006]") [ID 17873]

Document(s): Open document

09.10.2006 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Chinese authorities' closure of a leading Tibetan intellectual's blogs signals another online chill, Human Rights Watch said today. Oeser, whose blog at http://woeser.bokee.com was closed in late September, is the first Tibetan writer inside the mainland to openly raise in Chinese critical questions about China's role in Tibet and to urge Beijing to negotiate with the Dalai Lama ("Tibetan Intellectual's Blogs Shuttered") [ID 17874]

Document(s): Open document

20.09.2006 - Source: Congressional-Executive Commission on China

Tibet ("Annual Report 2006") [ID 17396]

see report for further details - Chapter VIII

"• In 2005, the Dalai Lama increased his efforts to explain that he does not seek Tibetan independence from China. The Dalai Lama’s envoys traveled to China for a fifth round of dialogue with Chinese officials in February 2006, relaying a request to Chinese leaders to permit the Dalai Lama to visit China. Tibetans could benefit from full implementation of the Regional Ethnic Autonomy Law, but the lack of local self-government in Tibetan autonomous areas of China creates mistrust in the dialogue and demonstrates that authorities are not implementing this law.

• The Chinese government favors accelerating implementation of development initiatives, especially the Great Western Development program, that already erode Tibetan culture and heritage. The Qinghai-Tibet railway began passenger service in July 2006, increasing Tibetan concerns about the railway’s potential effects on Tibetan culture and the environment. Education levels among Tibetans are much lower than those of ethnic Han Chinese, undermining the ability of Tibetans to compete for employment and other economic advantages in an emerging market economy that attracts an increasing number of Han.

• The Chinese government strictly limits the rights of Tibetans to exercise the constitutionally guaranteed freedoms of religion, speech, and assembly. Communist Party political campaigns promote atheism and strengthen government efforts to discourage Tibetan aspirations to foster their unique culture and religion. Chinese authorities have punished Tibetans, such as Jigme Gyatso, a former monk imprisoned in 1996 who is serving a 17-year sentence and Choeying Khedrub, a monk serving a life sentence since 2000, for peaceful expressions and non-violent actions that officials believe could undermine Party rule. The Commission’s Political Prisoner Database listed 103 known cases of current Tibetan political detention or imprisonment as of August 2006, a figure that is likely to be lower than the actual number of Tibetan political prisoners. Based on sentence information available for 70 of the current prisoners, the average sentence is approximately 10 years and 11 months."

Document(s): Open document

15.09.2006 - Source: US Department of State

Level of repression in Tibetan areas remaining high ("International Religious Freedom Report 2006") [ID 18338]

"Overall, the level of repression in Tibetan areas remained high and the Government's record of respect for religious freedom remained poor during the period covered by this report; however, the atmosphere for religious freedom varied from region to region. Conditions were generally more relaxed in Tibetan autonomous areas outside the TAR, with the exception of parts of Sichuan's Kardze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. Envoys of the Dalai Lama made visits to China for discussions with Government officials in 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2006 and met with Government officials in Switzerland in 2005. There was a report of the death of a monk from Drepung Monastery in October 2005 following a heated dispute with the monastery's "work team" over his refusal to denounce the Dalai Lama. Although in the past there were reports of the deaths of monks and nuns due to maltreatment in prison, there were no known reports during the period covered by this report. Buddhist leaders such as Gendun Choekyi Nyima and Tenzin Delek remained in detention or prison, and the most important figures in Tibetan Buddhism such as the Dalai Lama and the Karmapa Lama remained in exile. Dozens of monks and nuns continued to serve prison terms for their resistance to "patriotic" or political education. The Government refused free access to Tibetan areas for international observers, tightly controlled observers who were granted access, and tightly controlled publication of information about conditions in Tibet. These restrictions made it impossible to determine accurately the scope of religious freedom violations.

[...]

The Government strictly controlled access to and information about Tibetan areas, particularly the TAR, and it was difficult to determine accurately the scope of religious freedom violations. While the atmosphere for lay religious practice was less restrictive than in the recent past, the level of repression in Tibetan areas remained high, and the Government's record of respect for religious freedom remained poor during the period covered by this report.

[...]

Prison authorities continued to subject imprisoned monks and nuns to torture.

[...]

Although Tibetan Buddhists in Tibetan areas outside of the TAR enjoy relatively greater freedom of worship than their coreligionists within the TAR, religious expression by Tibetan Buddhists outside the TAR has also at times resulted in detention and arrest."

Document(s): Open document

23.05.2006 - Source: Amnesty International

Tibet Autonomous Region and other ethnic Tibetan areas ("Annual Report 2006") [ID 17365]

"Freedom of religion, expression and association continued to be severely restricted and arbitrary arrests and unfair trials continued. Some prisoners of conscience were released at the end of their sentences, but dozens of others, including Buddhist monks and nuns, remained behind bars where they were at risk of torture or ill-treatment.

Tashi Gyaltsen and four other monks were assigned to between two and three years’ Re-education through Labour in Xiling, Qinghai province, in February for publishing a newsletter which contained poems and articles deemed to be politically sensitive."

Document(s): Open document

28.04.2006 - Source: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada

Response on the "Green Book" issued to Tibetans; how it is obtained and maintained, and whether holders enjoy rights equivalent to Indian citizen (" The "Green Book" issued to Tibetans; how it is obtained and maintained, and whether holders enjoy rights equivalent to Indian citizenship (April 2006) [CHN101133.E]") [ID 21976]

Document(s): Open document

01.2006 - Source: Human Rights Watch

Human rights in Tibet ("World Report 2006") [#42330],  [ID 17337]

"Chinese authorities view the Dalai Lama, in exile in India since 1959, as the linchpin of the effort to separate Tibet from China and view Tibetan Buddhist belief as supportive of his efforts. Thus, the government limits the number of monasteries and monks, vets all applicants for the monkhood, interferes with the selection of monastic leaders, prohibits performance of traditional rites, and conducts ongoing reeducation campaigns centered on opposition to the Dalai Lama. In July 2005, the chairman of the Tibetan Autonomous Region announced that China would choose the next Dalai Lama.  
 
Suspected separatists are routinely imprisoned; at this writing such individuals included two monks from Sichuan who received eleven-year prison sentences, probably in early 2005, for hoisting the banned Tibetan flag. Chinese authorities have long refused to allow access to the boy the Dalai Lama identified in 1995 as the new Panchen Lama (the second most important personage in Tibetan Buddhism), instead keeping him under virtual house arrest most likely in Beijing. In his place, Chinese authorities recognized another boy as the Panchen Lama and in June 2005 in Sichuan they ordered monks to come out in force to greet him. Authorities held several suspected “troublemakers” in preventive detention in advance of the visit.  
 
In January 2005, Nepal abruptly closed the Tibetan Refugee Welfare Office in Kathmandu, jeopardizing a long-standing agreement under which Tibetans hoping to reach India could wait in Nepal until the office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) cleared them. Although Tibetans in Nepal have met the government’s conditions for replacing the office, Nepali authorities have stonewalled. Pressure from China is assumed to have been behind the closing and the refusal to accept another Tibetan organization as a replacement.  
 
Schools in Tibet limit use of the Tibetan language and neglect to teach students Tibetan history and culture. Officials do not tolerate privately-run Tibetan schools."

Document(s): Open document

08.11.2005 - Source: US Department of State

Level of repression in Tibetan areas remaining high ("International Religious Freedom Report 2005") [#38869],  [ID 4349]

"Overall, the level of repression in Tibetan areas remained high and the Government's record of respect for religious freedom remained poor during the period covered by this report; however, the atmosphere for religious freedom varied from region to region. Conditions were generally more relaxed in Tibetan autonomous areas outside the TAR, with the exception of parts of Sichuan's Kardze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. Envoys of the Dalai Lama made visits to China for discussions with Chinese officials in 2002, 2003 and 2004. Although in the past there were reports of the deaths of monks and nuns due to maltreatment in prison, there were no known reports during this period; however, Buddhist leaders such as Gendun Choekyi Nyima and Tenzin Deleg remained in detention or prison, and the most important figures in Tibetan Buddhism such as the Dalai Lama and the Karmapa Lama remained in exile. Dozens of monks and nuns continued to serve prison terms for their resistance to "patriotic education." The Government refused free access to Tibetan areas for international observers, tightly controlled observers who were granted access, and tightly controlled publication of information about conditions in Tibet. These restrictions made it impossible to determine accurately the scope of religious freedom violations.
While there was some friction between Tibetan Buddhists and the growing Muslim Hui population in cities of the Tibetan areas, it was attributable more to economic competition and cultural differences than to religious tensions. The Christian population in the TAR was extremely small. Some converts to Christianity may have encountered societal pressure."

Document(s): Open document

11.10.2005 - Source: Congressional-Executive Commission on China

Rights of Tibetans are subject to strict constraint ("Annual Report 2005") [#37506],  [ID 4350]

see report for further details - chapter VI.

"• The Dalai Lama has said that he does not seek independence and aims for a solution based on Tibetan autonomy within China. But Chinese leaders do not seem to recognize the benefits of moving forward in the dialogue with the Dalai Lama or his envoys. Chinese laws on regional ethnic autonomy contain provisions that could benefit Tibetans and their culture, but poor government implementation of these laws largely negates their potential value.
Chinese government statistics suggest that Tibetans are not yet prepared to compete in the economic and ethnic environment created by central government policies. The Tibetan rate of illiteracy is five times higher than China’s national average. Most Tibetans do not have access to a bilingual education system that can impart skills to help them compete for employment and other economic benefits.
Chinese laws and official statements lend credibility to Tibetan concerns that programs such as Great Western Development and projects such as the Qinghai-Tibet railroad will lead to large increases in Han migration.
The rights of Tibetans to their constitutionally guaranteed freedoms of religion, speech, and assembly are subject to strict constraint. Government officials persecute prominent Tibetans, especially religious leaders, believed to have links to the Dalai Lama."

Document(s): Open document

01.09.2005 - Source: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

Tibet: While 40th anniversary of Tibetan Autonomous Region is celebrated, activists see a continued emphasis on hard-line policies against Tibetan culture and religion ("Tibet: China Celebrates 40th Anniversary Of Founding Of Autonomous Region") [#36145],  [ID 4351]

Document(s): Open document

04.2005 - Source: UK Home Office

Country Report April 2005 - Tibetans ("Country Report - April 2005") [#31975],  [ID 4352]

The report also contains additional details in sub-chapters on Tibetan refugees in India and in Nepal

"6.284 Some Tibetan Organisations regard the whole of the Tibetan Plateau as part of “Tibet” and therefore include areas outside the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) in their reports. (See also Annex B/Chronology of Events – Tibet post 1910)

6.285 As noted by Europa publications (2005), there are approximately 5.4 million Tibetans in China. [1a] (p 200) China’s official gateway to news and information (china.org) stated, “The population of Tibetans in the region [of Tibet] accounts for 45 percent of that in the country. In addition to Tibetans, other ethnic groups include the Lhoba, Moinha, Han, and Hui. Among the total population, 2.41 million are Tibetan (92.2 percent), 155,300 Hans (5.9 percent) and 49,900 (1.9 percent) of other ethnic groups.” [5ab] [18b is a map]

6.286 As documented by Europa:
“All Chinese Governments since the fall of the Qing dynasty have continued to assert rights of sovereignty over Tibet (Xizang), although the western two-thirds of the territory had been, in practice, independent since 1912. Tibet was occupied in 1950 by Chinese Communist forces. In 1959 there was an unsuccessful armed uprising by Tibetans opposed to Chinese rule. As a result, the Dalai Lama, the head of Tibet’s Buddhist clergy and thus the regions spiritual leader, fled with some 100,000 supporters to northern India, where a government in exile was established. The Chinese ended the former dominance of the lamas (Buddhist monks) and destroyed many monasteries. Tibet become an ‘Autonomous Regions of China’ in September 1965, but the majority of Tibetans continued to regard the Dalai Lama as their ‘god-king’, and as a result there was intermittent unrest.” [1a] (p 173-174)

6.287 As reported by the Tibetans newspaper Phayul on 9 November 2004:
“Tibetan rights activists charge that since China invaded Tibet in 1950, it has tried to eradicate Tibetan culture through political repression, mass arrests, the destruction of monasteries, and the planned migration of tens of thousands of ethnic Han Chinese to the region. Five decades of Chinese rule in Tibet, activists say, has left Tibetan culture on the brink of extinction.

China rejects those charges. Beijing says it liberated Tibet from an era of political and economic backwardness, and that is has brought much needed financial development. It also says that Tibet has long ago been designated an autonomous region with significant self-rule.” [22dd]
[...]

6.289 In their Annual Report 2003 on the Human Rights Situation in Tibet the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) stated:
“The incidence of arrests and detentions taking place across the plateau was unabated during 2003. TCHRD documented the arrests of 27 Tibetans and has also reported on many unconfirmed cases – bringing the total number close to 100. The fact that more than 80 percent of the recorded arrests have taken place outside “TAR” is a clear indication of the changing shift of growing dissent towards those regions. The continuing situation of Tibetans still facing longterm prison sentences for their peaceful political opposition to Chinese authority reflects the unchanging situation of Tibetans in their rights to the enjoyment of political and civil freedoms. This is in the face of China’s claims to improving conditions for Tibetans in Tibet.” [22a] (p 29)

6.290 The TCHRD Report 2003 also noted, “The Kardze “Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture” of eastern Tibet’s present-day Sichuan Province remained the plateau’s most volatile region in terms of peaceful political protests and cases of arrest and detention. Of the 27 known arrests the TCHRD has reported this year, more than 80 percent occurred in and around this region.” [22a] (p 14)

6.291 According to the Tibetan Information Network (TIN) in a report dated 6 February 2004, “TIN’s political prisoner database records 145 Tibetans as in (or likely to be in) a prison or detention centre as of January 2004.” The same source stated, “Two thirds of the 136 male Tibetans political prisoners documented by TIN as currently imprisoned are monks, former monks, or reincarnated lamas (trulku).” [22cc] (p 1)

6.292 TIN also noted, “After reaching a peak of approximately 800 Tibetan political prisoners by 1996, there was a rapid decline in their numbers from 1997 to 2001.” [22cc] (p 1)

6.293 As reported by TIN on 8 July 2004:
“Based on the new information, TIN records now indicate that there are four current cases of known or presumed political imprisonment in Qinghai Province and none in Gansu. These levels—which obviously cannot reflect undetected cases—are the lowest TIN has documented since 1987–88. TAR Prison (a.k.a. Drapchi Prison, and formerly known as TAR Prison No. 1), Pome Prison (a.k.a. Bomi Prison or Powo Prison), and Lhasa Prison (formerly known as Utritru) are the TAR’s three formally designated prisons (jianyu). According to authorities, they currently hold a total of approximately 2,500 prisoners. The majority (86 percent) are sentenced for property crimes. Three percent, or about 75 inmates, have convictions that include the charge of ‘endangering state security’ or ‘counterrevolution.’ Most are in TAR Prison.” [22cd](See also Section 5/Prison Conditions in Tibet – Xizang)

6.294 As reported by TIN on 27 July 2004:
“A statement issued on 20 July 2004 by a Tibetan cultural group celebrates the cancellation of famed Chinese athlete Zhang Jian’s endeavour to swim across the holy Namtso Lake (Chin. Namco). A strongly worded open letter, addressed by the same group to the Chinese authorities on 22 June 2004, had condemned Zhang’s attempt which had originally been scheduled for 31 July. The new statement underlines the alleged popular support received by the original petition, as well as the emergence of an environmental consciousness in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). But it also acknowledges the political framework of the PRC.” [22ce]

6.295 As reported by the Australia Tibet Council on 23 September 2004, “Authorities in China have sentenced two monks and a layman to three-year jail terms, apparently they were involved in putting up posters advocating Tibetan independence, Radio Free Asia (RFA) reports.” [22bb]

6.296 As reported by the Tibetan newspaper Phayul on 8 November 2004, “In its latest attempt to intensify hard-line policies, the People's Republic of China (PRC) has relaunched the "strike hard" campaign to systematically curtail Tibetan political dissent and to control religious institutions.” [22dc]

6.297 According to this report:
“[The] "Strike Hard" (Ch: Yanda) Campaign which was initiated in China in 1983 as a domestic campaign against crime in China evolved into a political tool of oppression. In Tibet, the campaign is implemented with a singular aim to stifle political dissent. During "strike hard" and "patriotic education" campaigns, the State law enforcement bodies abuse the fundamental human rights of the Tibetan people through arbitrary arrest, detention, interrogation and torture, dismissal from jobs and expulsion from religious institutions.” [22dc]

6.298 According to the TCHRD Report 2003:
“China boasts of its huge investments and mammoth development projects in Tibet. It is customary that any development project must advocate the people’s right to self-determination including control over use of their land and natural resources. However, in Tibet, the Tibetans are excluded from consultation or effective participation. The urban development projects in Tibet are meant to consolidate China’s economic and political control over Tibet. The resultant influx of tens of thousands of Chinese settlers have further denied the Tibetan people their livelihood. TCHRD views the current development projects in Tibet to be assimilationist in nature. The acceleration of these projects will finally complete the cultural genocide of the Tibetan people.” [22a (p 3)

6.299 The same source continued:
“Chinese language replaces Tibetan in all higher education, and the study of Tibetan is often viewed as being anti-Chinese and unpatriotic… Tibetan schoolchildren who receive no language instruction until the fourth grade of primary school, not only have to study in a foreign language, but also have to compete for places in secondary school against Chinese children using their mother tongue. In 1997, Chinese language was introduced from grade one for Tibetans in urban primary schools but not in rural schools. Linguistic obstacles faced by Tibetan students in secondary and higher exams give Han Chinese settler children an overwhelming advantage in enrolment, enabling them to enter education’s fast stream.” [22a] (p 82-83)

6.300 The Dalai Lama in an inteview with TIME Asia on 25 October 2004 stated:
“Despite some economic improvement and development, the threats to our cultural heritage, religious freedom and environment are very serious. Then also in the countryside, facilities in education and health are very, very poor. It's like the big gap in China proper between rich and poor. So the whole picture, it almost looks hopeless. When the 13th Dalai Lama visited China in the early 20th century, there was a large Manchurian community—even the Emperor was Manchurian. Almost exactly 50 years later when I visited, the Manchurian community was no longer there. It was completely assimilated. That danger is very alive [in Tibet, too]. So that's why the Tibetan picture is almost hopeless. That's why we are trying to gain meaningful autonomy.” [15dg]

6.301 On the question of his reincarnation the Dalai Lama said:
“The purpose of reincarnation is to fulfill the previous life task. My life is outside Tibet, therefore my reincarnation will logically be found outside. But then, the next question: Will the Chinese accept this or not? China will not accept. The Chinese government most probably will appoint another Dalai Lama, like it did with the Panchen Lama. Then there will be two Dalai Lamas: one, the Dalai Lama of the Tibetan heart, and one that is officially appointed.” [15dg]"

Document(s): Open document

02.2005 - Source: WRITENET

Background paper on the situation of the Tibetan population in China ("People's Republic of China: Background Paper on the Situation of the Tibetan Population") [#32852],  [ID 4353]

Document(s): Open document

26.01.2005 - Source: Amnesty International

Suspended death sentence passed against Tenzin Deleg Rinpoche, a religious leader from a traditionally Tibetan area of Sichuan Province, commuted to life imprisonment ("People's Republic of China - Further Information on UA 290/04") [#28621],  [ID 4354]

Document(s): Open document
Open document

15.10.2004 - Source: Amnesty International

Religious leader sentenced to death; either he will be executed, or his sentence will be commuted to life imprisonment, depending on a report on his behaviour in prison, submitted to provincial prosecutors by the prison authorities ("China - UA 290/04") [#26553],  [ID 4355]

Document(s): Open document
Open document

03.08.2004 - Source: Human Rights Watch

“Singing Nun” one of 14 Tibetan woman imprisoned, released after nearly 15 years in jail/ despite the fact that she was released she has been under constant government supervision ("Tibet: Another ‘Singing Nun’ Home But Not Free") [#24463],  [ID 4356]

Document(s): Open document

07.07.2004 - Source: Amnesty International

2 Nepalese men sentenced to death in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), People's Republic of China on drugs-related charges/ they could be facing execution at any time ("China - UA 216/04") [#23821],  [ID 4357]

Document(s): Open document

09.02.2004 - Source: Human Rights Watch

HRW: Report focused on Chinese government, misusing criminal charges to repress political, cultural, and religious expression in Tibetan communities/ a prominent lama sentenced to death ("Trials of a Tibetan Monk:The Case of Tenzin Delek") [#19193],  [ID 4358]

"[...]
On December 2, 2002, the Kardze (Ganzi in Chinese) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture Intermediate People’s Court in Sichuan province sentenced Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, a locally well-known and respected lama, to death. Tenzin Delek, charged with “causing explosions [and] inciting the separation of the state” was granted a two-year suspension
of his death sentence, and remains in prison at this writing. His alleged co-conspirator, Lobsang Dondrup, was also found guilty, and was summarily executed on January 26, 2003.
The prosecutions came after a series of bombings in western Sichuan province between 1998 and 2002. A report issued the same day by Xinhua, China’s official news agency, alleged that the two had “engaged in crimes of terror.”1 At the sentencing hearing, Tenzin Delek declared his innocence. In a tape smuggled from detention in mid-January
2003 and obtained by Human Rights Watch, he repeated this claim, saying, “I have been wrongly accused. I have always said we should not so much as raise a hand against another.”
[...]"

Document(s): Open document

10.2003 - Source: UK Home Office

Country Assessment - October 2003 - Tibetans - Summary ("Country Report - October 2003") [#49232],  [ID 4359]

"6.259. Like other minority ethnic groups, Tibetans receive nominal preferential treatment in marriage policy, university admission and employment. However in practice discrimination against Tibetans is widespread, especially in the area of employment. Central government policies, while helping to raise the economic living standards of many Tibetans, have encouraged a massive influx of Han Chinese into the capital Lhasa and other urban areas. Government determination to suppress all separatist activity has led to the violent repression of protest and the detention of numerous Tibetans. [2g][6e]

6.260. One source in July 2000 has claimed continuing ethnic unrest in Xinjiang (XUAR). Likewise, gross human rights abuses in Tibet (TAR), particularly against Tibetan Buddhists and nationalists. [6t] The US State Department acknowledges some improvements in its March 2003 report, however it still concludes that the authorities continue to commit “serious human rights abuses” and restricts the fundamental freedoms of ethnic Tibetans by imposing “repressive social and political controls.” [2g.]

6.261. Poverty alleviation is seen as a key government goal. [4kd] In the first 6 months of 2003, 4.039bn yuan (481m US dollars) were invested in fixed assets (official government figures). [9gak.] The authorities consider this type of investment key to opening up Xizang province (Tibet) and raising the living standards for the people living there. [4kd]"

Document(s): Open document

10.2003 - Source: UK Home Office

Definition of Tibet ("Country Report - October 2003") [#49232],  [ID 4360]

"6.262. Tibet as an independent, sovereign state does not exist. In 1951, the Government of the PRC occupied about half the territory regarded as Tibet by Tibetans living outside Xizang province. [2k.] US State Department regards Tibet (defined as the Xizang Autonomous Region of China) to be part of the PRC but calls on the Chinese Government to respect and develop Tibet's unique culture, and uphold human rights. [2g.]

6.263. For the purpose of this report, "Tibet" is used as a loose term to cover the Tibetan Autonomous Region, and "Tibetan" to indicate those people who look to their Tibetan ethnicity as a defining feature. The use of "Tibet" as a term is not intended as an endorsement or otherwise of any territorial claim.

6.264. Sources of information on conditions in Tibet (TAR) are very limited. The area is closed to independent observers and most information in openly available sources is dependent upon Tibetans in exile campaigning organisations, namely the Tibetan Government in Exile [25a][26b] and the Tibet Information Network. [25c-g]"

Document(s): Open document

10.2003 - Source: UK Home Office

Brief history and geography of Tibet ("Country Report - October 2003") [#49232],  [ID 4361]

"6.265. The total area of the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR) is 1.2m sq. km. Administratively Tibet is divided into one municipality and six prefectures. The municipality is Lhasa, while the six prefectures are Shigatse, Ngari, Lhaoka, Chamdo, Nakchu and Nyingtri (kongpo). It is predominantly mountainous, bordering Yunnan, Sichuan, Qinghai, and Xinjiang provinces within PRC and India, Nepal, Bhutan and Burma (Myanmar) internationally. [1a][9gal.][9gam.]

6.266. According to the 2002 Census the population of Tibet (TAR) was 2.62 million with ethnic Tibetans accounting for over 90 per cent of the population. [9gam.] However, these figures do not include Government personnel or temporary Han migrants now living in Tibet. [2g] Most Tibetan sub-tribes (the Upa, the Khampa and the Amdo) are willing to be identified as Tibetan. [4vo][25a]

6.267. A senior official within the Tibetan government has denied Han migration will be permanent. He insisting that “The ration of ethnic groups in Tibet will not change dramatically,” and that where population growth has occurred this has been natural, the result falling infant mortality rates and a rising birth rate. [14i.]

6.268. The modern history of Tibet began in 1904 with a British invasion (to thwart Russian colonial plans). In 1909 the Chinese Imperial Government invaded Kham, eastern Tibet, followed by Lhasa in 1910. The British intervened and the Tibetans repulsed the Chinese, leading to the1914 Simla Convention. After 1920, the Tibetan rulers (the Lamas, a monarchical theocracy) pursued a policy of self-determination, leading to a neutral stance in the Second World War. Tensions between the Lamas escalated until the Panchen Lama requested Chinese protection in 1949, and the People's Liberation Army of Communist China invaded Tibet on 7 October 1950. [25c]

6.269. The Chinese consolidated their control in 1951, with the Tibetan authorities required to sign the 17-point agreement relinquishing independence. [25c] Chinese collectivisation of land in eastern Tibet, in the 1950s, provoked uprisings, culminating in a second Chinese invasion in 1959. In late March 1959, all local Tibetan government was dissolved and martial law was imposed. On 30 March 1959, the Dalai Lama sought political asylum in northern India. [25d] Tibetan rebels continue to operate from Mustang region until 1974, when guerrilla resistance effectively ceases, by order of the Dalai Lama. [25d]

6.270. Tibetan culture suffered greatly during the Chinese Cultural Revolution of the 1960s and 1970s, with the systematic destruction of 98 percent of Tibetan monasteries. In 1979, in an era of post-Mao reform, the Dalai Lama was invited to return to Lhasa (capital of Tibet) and duly sent a fact-finding mission to Tibet. The mission was enthusiastically received, spilling over into demonstrations for independence, which were quickly suppressed by the authorities. Martial law was lifted on 1 May 1990. However the Dalai Lama and the Chinese authorities have yet to engage in direct discussions over his return. [25c]"

Document(s): Open document

10.2003 - Source: UK Home Office

Education ("Country Report - October 2003") [#49232],  [ID 4362]

"6.271. Education is mainly limited to primary level for most Tibetans, with Tibetan primary schools usually supplying only two or three years of education (the monasteries having hitherto been the mainstay of Tibetan education). [2g] Literacy rates are low amongst ethnic Tibetans, with 42 percent of the population in TAR illiterate or semi-literate. [2g] The official news agency reported that between 1998 to 2003, literacy amongst Tibetan women rose from 40 to 60 per cent. [20bi.]

6.272. Education is a key issue for Tibetans in the preservation of their cultural heritage. [2k][25e][25f][25g] The Chinese authorities have increasing encourage the displacement of the Tibetan language as the written language and the medium of education, with ethnic Tibetans resentful that the majority of the students at the Tibet University (student body of 3000) are ethnic Han Chinese. [2g]

6.273. Tibetan exile sources have also pointed to a recent (dated February 2001) increase in an official suppression of religious expression in Tibetan middle and some primary schools, with outward expressions of faith such as wearing protection cords (srung mdud) specifically banned. [25e]"

Document(s): Open document

10.2003 - Source: UK Home Office

Women ("Country Report - October 2003") [#49232],  [ID 4363]

"6.274. While most prostitutes in Tibet are ethnic Han women, a “substantial” number of Tibetan's women are also employed in the hundreds of brothels, which operate with impunity in Lhasa. [2g] No information could be found on trafficking of Tibetan women or children for prostitution or associated sex industries.

6. 275. The Tibetan Women's Association is an exiled Tibetans' organisation working in Dharamsala and other parts of Northern India. [3a]"

Document(s): Open document

10.2003 - Source: UK Home Office

Children ("Country Report - October 2003") [#49232],  [ID 4364]

"6.276. Malnutrition and nutritional deficiency ailments are high in Tibetan children, particularly in rural areas. The government and NGOs have worked together in some areas to try and tackle this. [2g]

6.277. As one of the a recognised minority within the PRC Tibetans are entitled to preferential treatment in the area of birth control [2g], the annual growth rate between 1990 and 2000 was 1.72 per cent. [9gam.]

6.278. There are credible reports of minors being smuggled over the border to Dharamsala and Northern India, for a combination of reasons that include continuing their education in a culturally Tibetan environment and better economic prospects. [4b]"

Document(s): Open document

10.2003 - Source: UK Home Office

Healthcare ("Country Report - October 2003") [#49232],  [ID 4365]

"6.279. Chinese official sources stress the development of the healthcare sector as a benefit brought by Chinese investment to Tibet: '... there were only two hospitals in Tibet before the region's peaceful liberation in 1950, and the few doctors served only the ruling class and not the ordinary people. However, today (February 2001), a Medicare network consisting of more than 1,200 hospitals and staffed by over 10,300 medical professionals has been built over the region.' [4l]

6.280. Official figures for 1997 state there were 1,324 'medical and healthcare establishments' with 6,246 hospital beds and 10,929 healthcare personnel. With an additional 14 Tibetan traditional medical establishments. [4o]

6.281. In 1999, it was reported that from 1994, there has been a foreign-aided healthcare initiative to develop rural healthcare workers, known as pendebas in Tibetan. The Pendeba scheme has been reportedly a great success, with infant mortality down by 50 per cent in the villages where the 224 pendebas work. [4n]"

Document(s): Open document

10.2003 - Source: UK Home Office

Cultural rights ("Country Report - October 2003") [#49232],  [ID 4366]

"6.282. The preservation of a distinctive Tibetan culture is a paramount issue in TAR. Lhasa has been progressively sinificated, so that now over half the population is Han Chinese, new buildings are in a Chinese architectural style, Chinese characters are used in commercial signs and Standard Modern Chinese is spoken widely. Likewise, regional and town governments are heavily influenced by central Chinese government policy and many positions of power and influence are held by ethnic Han settlers. [2g] In rural areas, however, Han influence is still held to be negligible. [2g]

6.283. The Tibetan Government in Exile in Dharamsala has consistently raised the concerted efforts of the Chinese Government to eradicate Tibetan culture, and many of its attached institutions in Dharamsala are expressly dedicated to retaining aspects of that culture. [3a][3b] The Chinese Government has objected to claims of attempting to bring Tibetan culture to "extinction", retorting along ideological lines, that the only extinction is of Tibetan ruling classes' influence and feudalism. [4m]

6.284. The Chinese Central Government makes great play of the amount of restoration and rebuilding of religiously significant sites damaged during the Cultural Revolution. [4m][2h] However, whilst acknowledging some improvements, the US State Department in its March 2003 reports concludes that 'repressive social and political controls continued to limit the fundamental freedoms of ethnic Tibetans and risked undermining Tibet's unique cultural, religious, and linguistic heritage.' [2g]"

Document(s): Open document

27.06.2003 - Source: Amnesty International

AI: Tibetans arrested and in danger of being deported from Nepal ("Nepal/ China - UA 191/03") [#13940],  [ID 4368]

"Nineteen unnamed Tibetans have been detained in Nepal after crossing the border from Tibet. Amnesty International fears they may be forcibly returned to China where they would be at risk of detention without charge, torture and other serious human rights violations.
[...]
Amnesty International's fears for their safety are heightened by the forced return from Nepal to China of a group of 18 Tibetans, including eight children, on 31 May 2003. The group was returned in a joint operation carried out by officials from Nepal and China.
[...]
Until recently, the Nepali authorities have allowed UNHCR to assess the claims of Tibetan asylum seekers and facilitate their resettlement or transit to third countries, usually India. The forcible return of the 18 Tibetans on 31 May was an alarming departure from that practice.
The Nepali authorities have increasingly begun to detain Tibetan asylum seekers if they cannot afford to pay fines charged for their "illegal entry" into Nepal, thus making it more difficult for UNHCR to gain access to them. UNHCR were unable to interview and assess the claims of the group of 18 Tibetans following their entry to Nepal despite repeated requests to the Nepali authorities.
Their forcible return appears to confirm widely held suspicions that China has increased its pressure on other countries to return its nationals over recent months.
[...]"

Document(s): Open document
Open document

04.06.2003 - Source: BBC News

18 Tibetans, including eight minors, deported to China almost two months after they had been arrested on charges of illegally entering the country ("China defends Nepal deportations") [#13250],  [ID 4369]

Document(s): Open document

02.06.2003 - Source: Amnesty International

AI: Nepal: Forcible return of Tibetans to China ("Nepal: Forcible return of Tibetans to China unacceptable") [#13385],  [ID 4370]

"Amnesty International today condemned the forcible return to China of 18 Tibetan asylum seekers from Nepal on Saturday and called on the international community to do more to ensure that individual states uphold their obligations toward refugees and asylum seekers under international standards.

"Increasingly we are finding that nowhere is safe for refugees and asylum seekers from China, particularly neighbouring countries like Nepal," Amnesty International said.
[...]
Last year, three ethnic Uighur asylum seekers from China's Xinjiang Uighur Autonomous Region are believed to have been forcibly returned to China from Nepal even after they had been granted refugee status by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
[...]
In this latest incident, the group of 18 Tibetans were sent back at around 6am on Saturday in a joint operation carried out by officials from Nepal and China. Eyewitnesses described them as being carried crying and screaming into vehicles before being driven in the direction of the border. The operation was carried out in the face of widespread international concern expressed by the UNHCR, governments and NGOs."

Document(s): Open document

31.05.2003 - Source: BBC News

18 Tibetan refugees deported back to China ("Nepal deports 18 Tibetans") [#13146],  [ID 4371]

Document(s): Open document

13.05.2003 - Source: Human Rights Watch

HRW: Health of 2 Tibetan prisoners in jeopardy/ there is reason to fear that their current medical state is largely the result of prison conditions and of torture ("China: Tibetan Prisoners' Health in Jeopardy") [#12658],  [ID 4372]

"Tserang was detained in early May 2002, a month after public security officials in Lithang (in Chinese referred to as Litang) arrested Tenzin Delek and four monks closely associated with him in a raid at Jamyang Choekhorling monastery. Although the current charges against him are unclear, it is known that in 2000, when authorities were preparing to detain Tenzin Delek, Tserang helped forestall the attempt by collecting some 20,000 signatures in support of Tenzin Delek.
[...]
Tashi Phuntsog, who reportedly received a seven-year sentence, may also be in fragile health. At the time of the raid, he was being treated for tuberculosis at a hospital in nearby Nyagchukha. Two weeks later, police officers took him directly from the hospital into detention. There is no information available about his current condition, the date of sentencing, the charges, or where he is imprisoned."

Document(s): Open document

28.01.2003 - Source: Guardian

Prominent supporter of Tibetan independence convicted of carrying out a series of bomb attacks executed in the city of Ganzi ("China executes Tibetan activist for bombings") [#10506],  [ID 4391]

Document(s): Open document

27.01.2003 - Source: Amnesty International

AI: Execution of Tibetan, following unfair trial ("People's Republic of China: Amnesty International condemns execution of Tibetan, following unfair trial") [#10498],  [ID 4392]

"Amnesty International today expressed dismay at reports that Lobsang Dhondup was executed yesterday following his conviction in a secret trial for involvement in a series of bombings in Sichuan province.
[...]
"This case could signal a move by the Chinese authorities to extend the use of the death penalty to those branded as political opponents, 'separatists' or 'terrorists' beyond the XUAR," Amnesty International said.

Lobsang Dhondup's co-defendant, the Tibetan religious leader, Tenzin Deleg Rinpoche, had been given a death sentence with a two-year suspention of execution in connection with the same case. His appeal was also rejected by the Sichuan High People's Court yesterday.
[...]
The authorities reportedly tried to arrest Tenzin Deleg Rinpoche at least twice before, including in 1998 when he tried to establish monasteries without official approval. He also organized a popular local protest against deforestation in the area by a local timber company.
[...]
On 2 December, the Kardze (Ganzi) Intermediate People's Court in the Kardze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan Province sentenced Lobsang Dhondup to death for "inciting separatism", "causing explosions" and "illegal possession of guns and ammunition". Tenzin Deleg Rinpoche received a death sentence with a two year suspension for "causing explosions" and "inciting separatism". According to official sources, Tenzin Deleg Rinpoche appealed against the sentence, but Lobsang Dhondup did not appeal."

Document(s): Open document

05.12.2002 - Source: BBC News

2 ethnic Tibetans found guilty of bomb attacks in the south west of China sentenced to death ("Tibet sentences condemned") [#9897],  [ID 4394]

Document(s): Open document

17.10.2002 - Source: BBC News

Tibetan nun imprisoned by authorities since her mid-teens for her political activities freed 9 years early ("China frees Tibetan nun") [#9162],  [ID 4395]

Document(s): Open document

04.06.2002 - Source: Neue Zürcher Zeitung

Bedrohte Religionsausübung in China ("Bedrohte Religionsausübung in China") [#7420],  [ID 4396]

21.08.2001 - Source: Neue Zürcher Zeitung

Bericht über hartes Vorgehen gegen tibetische Geistliche ("Bericht über hartes Vorgehen gegen tibetische Geistliche") [#3676],  [ID 4398]

Document(s): j269.htm
Open document