FACT SHEET: Tibetan Deaths Under China’s Crackdown since March 2008Friday, 20 March 2009, 6:30 p.m.

1.  As of 20 March 2009, a total of 220 Tibetans have died under China’s brutal crackdown since 10 March 2008.
2. Four categories of death under China’s crackdown – Indiscriminate firing, Torture, Suicide and Starvation.
3. Indiscriminate
   firing into the protesting crowd that have resulted in Tibetan deaths
   have been confirmed in Lhasa, Ngaba, and Karze (Tongkhor Monastery,
   Chokri Monastery and Dabpa County).   
4. Information available on 107 Tibetans with 113 yet to be identified.
5. Following events and information adds up to more than 113 unidentified dead Tibetans:

•  Largest
  number of Tibetan casualties reported between the period of 14-17 March
  2008. At least 80 people were killed on 14 March 2008. In further
  confirmation of such killings, an estimated 80 bodies were seen piled
  near Lhasa Public Security Bureau Office on 15 March 2008.
  •  On
    28 March 2008, an estimated 83 bodies were cremated in a crematorium
    behind Yabda Township, Toelung Dechen County, Lhasa Municipality.
  •  [Out
    of over 160 aforementioned Tibetan deaths in March 2008 in Lhasa alone,
    information available on over 40 Tibetans in the list].
  •  Of the 23 Tibetan deaths in Ngaba protest of 16 March 2008, only 10 could be identified.
  •  Pema
    Thinlay, Vice-Chairman of the “TAR”, had acknowledged the death of
    three protestors (unidentified) in a press conference in Lhasa on 27
    March 2008.
  •  Deaths
    of three Tibetans (an elderly person, one male and one female youth)
    from Dabpa County, Karze “TAP”, Sichuan Province. Initial protest
    occurred on 7 March 2008 resulting in shooting dead of the three
    unidentified Tibetans four days later on 11 March 2008.

Reasons for unconfirmed identities of 113 dead Tibetans:

•  Of
  those killed in Lhasa, many did not possess residence permit. These
  Tibetans were originally from far-flung areas within the “TAR” such as
  Kongpo, Chamdo etc. and also from the regions of Kham and Amdo, who had
  come to Lhasa for purposes of pilgrimage, business or temporary stay.
•  Chinese
  security forces had cremated many bodies without informing the family
  members. As disappearance cases of Tibetans in the aftermath of 2008
  protest totals over a thousand, it is likely that many of the deaths
  went uninformed to and unreported by the family members on the
  assumption that their kin could have been disappeared or detained.
•  Information clampdown and blackout.

Figures of Tibetans Arrested, Sentenced, Dead and Missing

It
is virtually impossible to determine the exact number of Tibetans
arrested, dead, sentenced, or missing in Tibet considering the
tremendous lack of transparency and severe restrictions on information
flow in Tibet. It is, however, believed that the actual figure of
Tibetans facing prison sentence, detention, disappearance etc is likely
to be much higher than what is reported here.

10 March 2008 – 31 January 2009

Identified List of Tibetans Killed Under China’s Crackdown Since 10 March 2008