Update on Lhasa Crackdown

Information on the crackdown in Lhasa continues to trickle out. After clashes following Tibetans’ celebration of the Congressional Gold Medal being awarded to the Dalai Lama, Chinese security forces are “mopping up.”

Radio Free Asia reports:

Chinese authorities in Tibet have detained three monks and are questioning more than a dozen others after the monks tried to put up prayer flags celebrating the award of a U.S. congressional gold medal to the Dalai Lama, local sources say.

Chinese officials are also threatening those Tibetans with government jobs or pensions, which in Lhasa is the majority of middle-class professionals:

officials also warned current and retired Tibetan staff against any religious activities until Oct. 30, the sources said, including burning incense or putting up prayer flags.

“If they do, current employees would face disciplinary actions including termination of their services. If any retired Tibetan staff engage in these activities, their retirement benefits will be forfeited,” one source said.

In a sign of how afraid Chinese officials are, they also temporarily closed Pangsa Monastery in Lhasa. This was after thousands of Tibetans started flocking there as a result of a comment by the Dalai Lama on the sacred nature of the monastery’s main reliquary statue. Chinese officials are clearly worried about large gatherings of Tibetans, and are also desperate to fight the Dalai Lama’s influence in Tibet (clearly a losing battle, sorry China).

All these developments amount to a strong statement of Tibetans’ loyalty to the Dalai Lama, and a reminder that the Chinese government may have the guns, but it does not have Tibetans’ hearts.



One Responseto “Update on Lhasa Crackdown”

1. hagura says:

   January 20, 2008 at 10:07 am

   Tibet will never become free unless Tibetans have the strong will power to liberate their so call ‘nation’. China is going to be a superpower in a few years time and you Tibetans think you can win freedom by just organising protests in Delhi’s Jantar Mantar area?
   Tibet will never be free unless the Tibetan youths understand that a freedom revolution needs a few lives to be laid down. Organising charity rock shows, wearing trendy clothes, frequenting discotheques, etc. will never win you freedom.
   China becomes stronger day by day and unless you people take action, winning your country back is something you’ll never be even be able to dream in a few years time. The Afghan tribes are a shoddy bunch of people less fortunate than you in terms of natural resources they have but they could throw out the mighty British first and then the Russians (now its America’s turn). They could do it becuase they are brave people. What about you? You people are just lost in rock shows and nothing much.
   As a matter of fact, the patience among the common Indians are running out to host you. India is one of the most densely populated countries of the world (not to mention that it is the 2nd largest populated in the world). In Arunachal its an open secret that many Tibetans have successfully bribed government officials to get Scheduled Tribe(ST) certificate and Permanent Resident Certificate (PRC), and now pretend to be Indians. A good number of them have managed to secure Government jobs and jobs in private sector also. A good number of Tibetans are flourishing in the Tawang district as prosperous businessmen and even call the shots in the governance there. No sooner there will be crack down and your stay in the state might be questioned (another round of Chakka bandh).
   Therefore its high time you have a country of your own. If you don’t have the guts to take up an armed revolution then reconcile with Peoples’ Republic of China (PRC) and become a Chinese.