(TibetanReview.net, Nov01, 2015) – In yet another lone street protest, albeit after a gap of nearly a month and half, in Ngaba (Chinese: Aba) County of Sichuan Province, a Tibetan father of four was attacked and taken away by Chinese police shortly after he protested and raised slogans outside the county offices, reported Radio Free Asia (RFA, Washington) Oct 30. Tashi, 31, carried a photo of the Dalai Lama in his hand as he walked down the street in protest, the report cited two exile Tibetan sources with local contacts as saying.
“Tibetans want freedom, and let the Dalai Lama return to Tibet,” voatibetanenglish.com Oct 30 quoted Tashi as having shouted.
The protest appeared to have lasted only a short while as in all previous cases. Chinese police posted in town quickly took him down and away, the reports said.
The protester’s family of five, including four school-going children, live in Village No. 5 of Meruma Township, eight of whose or nearby township residents have previously carried out lone protests at various times since Jul 15.
Before Tashi, a 22-year-old Tibetan woman named Dekyi Dolma carried out a lone protest against Chinese rule in Ngaba County-town on Sep 13, shouting slogans calling for an end to oppressive Chinese policies in the region, according to an RFA report Sep 15. Many Tibetans who were reported to be in town at the time raised cries, expressing support for the woman and anger over the police roughing-up of a peaceful protestor, the report said.
Earlier, on Sep 10, a 20-year-old monk named Lobsang Dagpa, also known as Adrak, of the local Kirti Monastery shouted for freedom for Tibetans as he staged a lone protest in the county’s main town. Other Tibetans who witnessed the incident also raised cries in his support and there was an unconfirmed report of a clash with Chinese police, leading to many possible arrests. The monk originally belonged to the county’s Suruma Township.
On the same day, a monk named Lobsang also carried out a lone protest in Ngaba County-town around 6:00 pm. He too shouted for freedom for Tibetans and also prayers for long-life for Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama. Chinese police took him away as soon as they saw him protesting and also possibly some lay Tibetans who protested his detention.
Earlier, on Sep 9, Chinese police took away 21-year-old Kirti monk Jampel Gyatso, after he carried out a lone protest on the Dzongkar Street in Ngaba County. He carried a large portrait of the Dalai Lama over his head and called for freedom in Tibet while protesting.
Jampel Gyatso’s protest and arrest came two days after Lobsang Kelsang, 19, also from Kirti Monastery, was arrested at around 3 pm on Sep 7.
Before that, on Aug 20, a woman named Dorje Dolma, 29, carried out a lone protest very early in the morning and was taken away by Chinese police shortly afterwards. The resident of Village No. 2 in the county’s Meruma Township had shouted slogans as she was arrested.
Before Dorje Dolma, Woekar Kyi, an about 23-year-old mother of a four-year-old son and resident of Meruma’s Village No. 1, was taken away by Chinese police on Aug 15 after she carried out a lone afternoon protest on the township’s street. She shouted slogans, demanding freedom and the return from exile of Tibet’s spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.
And on Jul 15, Wangmo, 22, of Meruma’s Village no. 3 was held shortly after she started a lone protest march on the township’s main street, carrying a portrait of Tibet’s exile spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.
The map, pictured above, is from uprisingarchive.org.