(TibetanReview.net, Jan 30) – Police opened fire on a group of monks of Dege Monastery in Dege County of Karze Prefecture in Sichuan Province on Jan 27 who staged a protest, according to the exile Tibetan government’s Tibet.net Jan 28. It said though no casualties could be ascertained, because of tight restrictions, a number of monks were arrested, including those named as Ven Tsering Wangchuk, Chu Gha, Tashi Dorjee, Sonam Norbu, Choejor Palden and Dongthok Tashi.
The report did not say where the protest took place and why, although Oslo-based Voice of Tibet radio service said it took place at the monastery. However, it did say that on Jan 7, the authorities called a meeting at the monastery and ordered the monks that they must celebrate the upcoming Tibetan New Year. This was because the Tibetans had decided to mourn rather than celebrate on the day due to the Chinese killing of hundreds of Tibetans during the repression of the Tibetan uprising last year.
A Dec 29 Tibet.net report said the firing took place at midnight.