-Radio Free Asia
The trio had content on their phones related to a destroyed Buddhist statue in Sichuan.
Chinese authorities in Sichuan province have arrested three Tibetan Buddhists they claim were in possession of “politically sensitive information” as they returned from a pilgrimage, Tibetan sources in exile say.
Asang, Dodra, and Nortso were interrogated by police on Jan. 10 while traveling home from the sprawling Larung Gar Tibetan Buddhist Academy in Sichuan’s Serta (in Chinese, Seda) county and later arrested, a source told RFA’s Tibetan Service, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“Their cellphones were examined by police in Draggo (Luhuo) county in the Kardze (Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and all three of them were arrested for ‘possessing politically sensitive information and pictures,’” the source said.
“They were handed over to police in Chamdo [prefecture] and are currently held at the Chamdo Police Station.”
A second Tibetan in exile, who also declined to be named, told RFA that the content on their phones was related to the destruction since late last month of a three-story statue of Maitreya Buddha at Gaden Namyal Ling monastery in Drago. Click here to read more.