China Deploys Massive Force in Golog, Strengthens RepressionTuesday, 24 March 2009, 4:11 p.m.
Dharamshala: The Chinese government has send massive reinforcement of armed forces to Machen county in Golog Tibet Autonomous Prefecture (incorporated into China’s Qinghai Province), following arrests of more than 100 Tibetans for staging peaceful protests over the death of a monk of Ragya Monastery on 21 March.Twenty-eight-year-old Tashi Sangpo committed suicide by jumping into Machu (Yellow River), as police had begun a manhunt to nab him for his role in unfurling the Tibetan national flag and for distributing documents on 10 March. According to sources, following the incident on 10 March, officials of Public Security Bureau (PSB) arrested Tashi Sangpo and a group of monks. During the interrogation PSB officials treated the monks with extreme inhumane methods and torture.Later on 21 March, Tashi Sangpo urged the police to release all the detained monks after pleading himself guilty for hoisting the Tibetan national flag. Following this Tashi Sangpo snatched the flag from police and made a sudden escape to threw himself into a nearby river, sources added.More than 1,000 Tibetans headed by the monks of Ragya Monastery, carrying Tibetan national flags, gathered near the main gate of PSB office and shouted slogans to stop killing of Tibetans.Nearly 100 monks of Ragya Monastery, including the monastery’s prefect Palden Gyatso, were arrested on 22 March. There has been increased repression following massive deployment of security forces in the area.
