DHARAMSHALA: A Tibetan monk of Kirti Monastery in eastern Tibet’s Ngaba county was arrested by the police during a night raid on on 9 March, a day before the 54th Tibetan national uprising day against China’s invasion and occupation of Tibet.  

Tsepak, 29, was arrested and taken away by police when he was nursing an ailing relative at a village near Kirti Monastery.  The relatives still don’t know the reasons behind his arrest and current whereabouts.

Tsepak, son of late Dhondup and Dhondhe, joined the monastery at a young age. At the time of his arrest, he was in the third year of his Masters degree course in Madhyamika or Middle-Way Buddhist philosophy.

He was earlier arrested and incarcerated for several months on 25 March 2011 when he was studying at the Beijing Nationalities University. No reasons were given for his arrest at that time, but it was later known that he was arrested for allegedly contacting the outside world.