(TibetanReview.net, Mar22, 2017) – Chinese police in Ngaba (Chinese: Aba) County of Sichuan Province were reported to have detained two Tibetan monks and a woman from three separate incidents of lone protests with shouting of protests calling for freedom for Tibet since Feb 25. All were quickly set upon and taken away moments after the incidents, reported the Tibetan Service of Radio Free Asia (Washington) Mar 20.
The first of the two very recent incidents took place on Mar 16 when Lobsang Dargye, a monk of the local Kirti Monastery, began to shout slogans on a main road of the county seat. “Tibetans who witnessed the protest said that he called out for Tibetan freedom and the return of [exiled spiritual leader] the Dalai Lama to Tibet,” the report quoted a local source as saying, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Police presence was already very strong in the area because of additional deployments made ahead of the 58th Tibetan national uprising anniversary of Mar 10.
The monk, originally from the county’s Upper Charu Township, is said to be a second-year student at the Kirti Monastery, with his father’s name being Gonpo and mother’s name Sonam Kyi.
Later on Mar 18, a Tibetan laywoman named Dukpe was reported to have been held after she set out on a lone protest march in Ngaba town. She was said to be in charge of maintaining the grounds near a statue of the Buddha in front of the Kirti Monastery.
The woman, in her 20s, marched down the main street of Ngaba Dzong around 3PM and chanted slogans calling for the Dalai Lama’s long life, and greater freedoms in Tibet, reported voatibetanenglish.com Mar 21.
There is no information on where the Chinese have taken her. She is said to be married with two children. She belongs to Ngaba’s Raru township with her father’s name being Ngakchung and mother’s name Wangkyab.
Earlier, on Feb 25, Lobsang Tsultrim, a monk of Kirit Monastery, had also staged a lone protest march with shouting of slogans and was promptly taken away by Chinese police.