China: Tibetan protests linger in Sichuan, Gansu

A resident of Zhuoni county, Gansu province surnamed Zhou, Gansu province said: “A division of armed forces from Wuhan, Hubei province have been deployed in the Zhuoni county area.” He added: “Armed police are trying to arrest Tibetans who remain at large and there is still sporadic rioting.”

A resident surnamed Ma said: “It is not safe in Xiahe county, Gansu province and a curfew is still being imposed in the area.”

A local resident said monks from Langmu Monastery were still protesting, and travelers are not being allowed into the area.  Langmu Monastery is located near the border of Sichuan and Gansu province.

A Tibetan said: “Many armed police are still stationed near the Langmu Monastery which is located on the Sichuan province side, as there are two Langmu Monasteries, one is in Sichuan; the other  is in Gansu, but only the monks from Sichuan’s Langmu Monastery are still protesting.” This Tibetan also said: “There were no confrontations, but tourists were not allowed to go there.”

Another Tibetan monk from Luhuo county of Ganzi, Sichuan province told Ding Xiao that they would not give up their pursuit of freedom: “We still demand our freedom,” he said.

A local resident of Jiuzhi county, Qinghai province said: “More troops arrived here a couple of days ago. I don’t know the exact number of troops, but I heard that this time the troops are armed police. Those troops are deployed in both urban and rural areas. About 30 to 40 people have been detained, many of them local nomads. Some just turned themselves in, but others were rounded up. There is an increasing number of soldiers here. A few patrolling soldiers were attacked by nomads a few days ago.”

He also said that all people doing business in the area will have to write about their opinions on the riots and the Dalai Lama: “I am also requested to write my opinions on the riots and condemnations of the Dalai Lama. Many sole traders will have to do the same. Of cause you can not write whatever you want,” he added.

A government official from Ganzi, Sichuan province said he was now in big trouble with his superiors for giving information to RFA relating to the Ganzi unrest. “I was punished for giving that interview,” he said.

A Tibetan woman from Zhuoni county, Gansu province said some monks were killed during the protest that took place in Zhuoni county March 14 and March 17.“They were killed by troops on March 14,” she said.

A Han Chinese female resident of Zhuoni county, Gansu province told Qiaolong: “It will be over soon. Everything will be over by April 10, as the Tibetan rioters will have been arrested.  People will have returned to work by the 10th.”