Newsdesk: Tibetan protests spread into western China

Some of the most remote areas of the Sichuan, Gansu and Qinghai plateau are home to extensive Tibetan populations, many of whom are nomadic tribes.

In Gansu

“Tibetan students in the Tibetan language department of North West National University of Lanzhou, in Gansu, staged a peaceful demonstration on the school grounds. More than 1,000 Tibetan students took part, and Tibetan students from other departments tried to join in but were blocked. They declared that their protest was peaceful, and they urged the Chinese authorities to stop their crackdown on Tibetans in Lhasa and other Tibetan areas.”

“They also expressed solidarity with those Tibetans who protested in Lhasa, Labrang, and others outside Tibet. They had a banner that read, ‘We stand together with Tibetans, for glorious democracy and life.”

—Witness from the Amdo region

In Sichuan:

“Just now eight bodies have arrived in Kirti monastery.”—Source at Kirti monastery, Ngaba [in Chinese, Aba] prefecture, Sichuan province

“Four Tibetans were killed by sniper fire while they were marching near Kirti monastery… Then a little later, another three were killed. They were shot from a distance. Before they were shot, the protesters had smashed the windows at two police posts….There looked like 5,000 to 6,000 protesters….The names of the three people killed later are Tsezin, Norbu, and Lobsang Tashi.”—Tibetan protester from Ngaba [in Chinese, Aba] prefecture, Sichuan province

“On March 15, there were protests in Kham Tawo ([in Chinese, Daofu] in Ganzi prefecture. Suddenly 10 PAP trucks arrived…Kham Sershul monastery was surrounded by PAP. They are patrolling streets and randomly checking IDs—the situation is very tense.”—Tibetan witness in the Kham region, Karze [in Chinese, Ganzi], Sichuan province

From RFA’s Kham dialect service

In Lhasa:

“I am in the Lhasa area. There was shooting today. Many Tibetans who were dead and barely alive were collected at the TAR [Tibet Autonomous Region] Security Office area, and I heard from a reliable source that there were 67 bodies. Some were alive and most were dead when they were brought in… “

“This included male and female, and I don’t have the details… But it’s confirmed that there were in total about 67 bodies collected at this place. I cannot tell you the source of my information, but 67 bodies were seen by my source. It was officially announced by TAR officials that martial law was imposed. Right now I can hear shootings. We saw many tanks. Sometimes they fire in the air to threaten the Tibetans. At some places, like the Karma Kunsel area [near Lhasa], they are firing right now.”

– source in Lhasa

Tibetans in Lhasa said the armed police had blocked all intersections around the central, older part of the city, and many people were stuck indoors relying on state-run television news.

A Tibetan resident from the outskirts of the regional capital said it was impossible to get into the city center. “The military has blocked every intersection, so we can’t go anywhere. So I basically have no idea what is going on in town.”

A Han Chinese resident of Lhasa surnamed Wang said: “The television news report yesterday said those people were burning, killing and looting. But we don’t know. The compound has been sealed off and they won’t let us out.

From RFA’s Mandarin service, reported by Ding Xiao

“Five Tibetans succumbed to injuries at the nunnery hospital in Lhasa—it’s the Tsangkhug nunnery in Lhasa. Two Tibetans who were at the hospital were injured and they complained their legs were broken. The body of a young boy is still lying here unclaimed. Several other dead bodies were brought, and many of them were claimed by relatives.”

—Source inside Tsangkhug nunnery, Lhasa

“I haven’t been back to my house for two days now. There are troops all over, and we are completely locked inside. I have no information about what is happening outside.”

—Tibetan resident of Lhasa

“The Chinese authorities in Lhasa have started arresting Tibetans and searching from house to house. Official warnings were issued to all Tibetan residents of Lhasa that all Tibetan houses will be searched for photos of the Dalai Lama and for Tibetans who were involved in the riots. They were warned that no one should attempt to stop the searches and arrests, and people are not allowed to gather in groups when arrests are made. The TAR [Tibet Autonomous Region] government issued an order to all government departments that Tibetan government workers in different parts of China should report back to Lhasa within three days—they are needed to secure TAR railway lines. Failure to report in will result in ‘consequences’…”

—Witness from Lhasa

Photo: Students For a Free Tibet on Flickr

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