Pilgrims Asked to return Home, Investigations Begin
Dharamshala 17 January 2005: Tibetans heading for Nepal and India on pilgrimage from Karze have been asked to return home after the authorities in Lhasa took back their travel permits, sources say. The move comes in the wake of recent incident of fire that set ablaze a portion of Karze Prefecture People’s Congress Hall leading to the arrest of a monk. The authorities have begun investigation of the incident.
RFA reported on 12 January that Sonam Phunstok, 30, was the only suspect linked to the fire, which authorities believe, is a case of sabotage. “Chinese officials are treating it not as an accident but as an arson committed by people sympathetic to separatists and terrorists. Therefore they [have] deployed additional forces in Karze [in Chinese, Ganze] Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture and imposed tighter restrictions,” RFA’s Tibetan service quoted a source as saying on condition of anonymity.
Sonam Phuntsok is a resident of Tsang Chu town in Dartsedo [In Chinese, Kandin] County, Karze Prefecture. “He was a monk at Karze Monastery but was expelled in 1992 due to his alleged political activities,” one source had told RFA.