His Holiness the Dalai Lama Concerned Over Possible Crackdown in TibetWednesday, 12 February 2009, 1:49 p.m.

His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Baden Baden, Germany

Dharamshala: Appealing to Tibetans inside Tibet to exercise utmost restraint, His Holiness the Dalai Lama on Tuesday expressed concern over a possible Chinese military crackdown given the very tense situation prevailing inside Tibet.”Today there is too much anger… The situation is very tense,” said His Holiness the Dalai Lama during his visit to the German city Baden Baden, French news agency AFP reported.”This is my worry because with more uprising, there will be more crackdown. Things are very sad,” His Holiness said.His Holiness added: “It is so tense that the Chinese military have their hands on the trigger when they carry weapons… So long as there is a Chinese military presence, there will be tension.””Since public execution is difficult, they use torture when Tibetans are detained, As soon as people are arrested, they use torture — and sometimes they kill them.”His Holiness said his information about the situation in Tibet came from “Tibetan groups or individuals who come to see me when they leave Tibet”.”The Chinese systematically suppress Tibetan identity,” His Holiness said. “The Chinese are determined to crush it mercilessly.”In many places in Tibet, His Holiness said, schools have been closed, including privately funded schools which are “more free to teach Tibetan identity”.It is essential, His Holiness said, “to create a signal (to Beijing) that the Tibetan question won’t go, unless a mutually accepted solution is found. That is important.””The interest for Tibetan culture and Tibetan human rights is now worldwide.” More Repression in TibetAccording to sources in Tibet, the People’s Intermediate Court has announced an 18-month prison sentences to 4 Tibetan monks belonging to Shelkar Monastery in Dingri, Shigatse Prefecture in the Tibet Autonomous Region. The four were among the group of 13 monks arrested for protesting against the Chinese government’s “patriotic education” of denouncing His Holiness the Dalai Lama on 5 March 2008.Sources said 3 monks have been kept under detention, among which the authorities treated Khenrab Tharchin with the most repressive measures.The authorities had released the remaining 6 monks on 19 January, sources said.Among those released, the authorities expelled Ven Lobsang Jinpa from the monastery under the pretext of having convicted for political activities.The remaining monks are allowed to stay in the monastery only after their relatives signed an agreement of not engaging in political activities. The authorities have imposed strict restriction on the movements of the monks.  The restrictions on Shelkar monastery have also been increased, sources said.The court in Meru district, Ngaba Prefecture (incorporated into China’s Sichuan Province) sentenced Chophel alias Uchoe, aged 33, to 4 years imprisonment for his role in a demonstration on 17 March 2008.According to sources, Chophel’s left eye was blinded as he was not given medical treatment for a deformity developed during the detention. Nevertheless, the prison authorities continue to punish him with hard labour, sources said.Repression led to suicide of monkThe Chinese government’s repressive measures in the form of patriotic reeducation in the Samye Monastery, Lhoka Prefecture, forced a Tibetan monk to commit suicide, sources said. Namdol Khakyab, aged between 20 to 30, born in Nyemo County, who studied at Samye monastery, committed suicide in his room in November 2008, some three months after the monastery was closed by the Chinese authorities.  He left a suicide note claiming the whole responsibility of his own death.According to sources, the monastery in Samye came under intense repression since 3 March last year following the Chinese government’s crackdown on peaceful protesters across Tibet.Sources confided that following a demonstration by the entire monks of Samye monastery, concerned authorities immediately dispatched armed police to suppress the protesters. For three days, neither the monks were not allowed to go out, nor any visitors were permitted to enter the monastery. Following this, a large contingent of military personnel and authorities from the Public Security Bureau assigned to give patriotic education were sent to the monastery. Nine monks were arrested with the onset of an intensive education campaign of defaming His Holiness the Dalai Lama.Moreover, in June 2008, the Lhoka Intermediate People’s Court sentenced nine monks of Samye monastery to varying terms of imprisonment. The names of the monks are given below: