Right now, we are protesting in the area of Tsolho. We are demanding that the Chinese leadership open a dialogue with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and peacefully resolve the Tibetan issue. We are also demanding that His Holiness be allowed to visit Tibet. Our protest is peaceful and involves about 10-15 monks from Serlho monastery in the Tsolho (in Chinese, Hainan) prefecture. Just now we are marching toward the subdistrict headquarters, and from there we plan to go to the county government. Hundreds of local Tibetans, mainly nomads, have joined us … We have marched about four to five miles from Serlho monastery, but we fear that the Chinese security forces will not allow us to proceed to Shang and the county government center. This protest march is also an expression of our support to those Tibetans who launched peaceful protests in Lhasa and other parts of Tibet. Now, security forces seem to be coming. Thank you. Please let others know what we are doing and broadcast it to the world.
Monk protestor, speaking live during protest march, in interview with RFA’s Tibetan service, March 22. Tsolho in Chinese is the Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Qinghai province. Its population is about 62 percent Tibetan and 28 percent Han Chinese. More here.
On March 18, we–the monks of Palyul Darthang monastery in Amdo Golog (in Chinese, Guoluo)–marched to the local county government center. There were about 300 of us, joined by local Tibetans. At that time, there were no PAP there, but only about 40 local police. We marched to the local government office compound, pulled down the Chinese flag, and put up the Tibetan flag. The local police didn’t dare to interfere. They simply watched from a distance and took photographs. We then marched to the local school and hospital and pulled down the Chinese flag and replaced it with the Tibetan flag. We also stormed the local detention center and demanded that the authorities release all the prisoners, which they did. We conducted all these protests peacefully, harmed no one, and did no damage. Then, later in the afternoon, four trucks full of armed security forces arrived … They arrested about five to six Tibetans, and possibly more. Right now, only those monks who took no part in the protest are still in the monastery. The rest are hiding up in the mountains. The head monks are being pressured to hand over the main culprits. [The Chinese] are also announcing that anyone who surrenders voluntarily will be spared. The rest will face ’serious consequences.’ The monastery is now surrounded by security forces. Please let others know what we did and what our condition is. Thanks.” –Monk at Palyul Darthang, speaking to RFA’s Tibetan service, March 22, 2008
Also in Qinghai, a woman who called RFA’s Mandarin service Listener Hotline said:
I heard that things have quieted down in Tibet these past two days. But in Qinghai you can still see military vehicles traveling westward. It’s not clear why. Trains from and to Lhasa sometimes do not stop at the local train station. Security seems very stringent… I think the government messed up. The Dalai Lama has adopted a low-key – even humble – approach. He did not seek independence; nor did he advocate violence. But the government ignored him all these years.
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