Tibet: China Tortures Tibetan Youth to Death, More Protests Reported in KhamWednesday, 28 January 2009, 4:49 p.m.
Pema Tsepak |
Dharamshala: Severe custodial torture of Tibetan detainees by the Chinese prison officials led to death of a Tibetan youth in Dzogang county of the Chamdo prefecture of the Tibet Autonomous Region.Pema Tsepak, aged around 24, a painter by profession, sustained severe kidney injury due to torture by the officials of the Public Security Bureau and armed personnel during the detention. On 23 January, he was taken to hospitals in Dzogang county for treatment and later shifted to another hospital in Chamdo, but his life could not be saved, sources said.Acccoring to sources, Pema Tsepak was detained along with a group of Tibetan youths for carying Tibetan national flags and making peaceful protests on 20 January. The other detainees were identified as Thinley Gyatso alias Thinley Ngodup, Bhu Dhargyal, Norbu Tashi, Pema Tsepak and Gonpo Dadul.The condition of Bhu Dhargyal and Thinely Ngodup are said to be critical as they have been subjected to severe beatings and are currently held in a prison inside Chamdo.Meanwhile, Norbu Tashi is still being kept in custody in Dzogang county, whereas Dechen Dolma, Thinley Gyatso and Lolhatso were temporarily known to have been released on 24 January.More protests near Dege Monastery in KhamOn 7 January, the local Chinese government officials at the Dege monastery in Kham, have convened a meeting and advise the Tibetan residents to celebrate the upcoming Tibetan New Year. The local residents are strongly against the celebration as hundreds of fellow Tibetans were killed in the Chinese government’s crackdown across Tibet in March last year.Sources also reported that the local Chinese police have opened fired on a group of protesting monks from the Dege Monastery in Kham, around 9 p.m. (local time) on 27 January. Moreover, sources could not tell the exact number of casualties as the area is under hightened repression.Some of those detained were identified as Ven Tsering Wangchuk, Chu Gha, Tashi Dorjee, Sonam Norbu, Choejor Palden and Dongthok Tashi.The detail list all the detainees, number of casualties and the causes of the protests could not be ascertained, as the Chinese government have imposed heavy security in the area.