Tibet: Two Sentenced in Karze, Dozens Arrested for Supporting Boycott of LosarWednesday, 4 February 2009, 4:30 p.m.
Dharamshala: A county level court sentenced two Tibetans in Karze (Ch: Ganzi) County, Karze “Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture,” Sichuan province, including a monk and a nun, to imprisonment for their alleged involvement in peaceful protests in June 2008, a Dharamshala-based human rights group reported on 2 February.Ngawang Lhundup, aged 22 and Kel Nyima (age unknown), both monks of Kardze Monastery were detained by the Kardze County Public Security Bureau on 9 June 2008 for staging a protest demonstration at the Kardze County headquarters, the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) said.”Ngawang Lhundup was sentenced to four year imprisonment, while the whereabouts of Kel Nyima still remains unknown,” sources told TCHRD.Ngawang Lhundup was born to Sangay Wangchuk (father) and Yarkong (mother) at Dhago Village, Dhago Township in Kardze County.In a separate court trial in January 2009, Pema Lhamo, a nun of Kardze Gaden Choeling Nunnery was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment term by the same court for her participation in a peaceful protest in Kardze County on 14 May 2008. She was arrested from the site of the protest along with six other nuns of the same nunnery and a layperson. There is no information on the current status and whereabouts of Tibetans who were also arrested along with Pema Lhamo. Meanwhile, the Chinese authorities are enticing Tibetans in Karze with monetary gift of a 500 Yuan to celebrate this year’s Tibetan New Year or Losar.Instead of celebration, the Tibetan people have decided to mourn for hundreds of Tibetans, who were killed during the Chinese government’s violent crackdown on peaceful protests across the three traditional provinces of Tibet, since 10 March 2008. China’s ruthless clampdown on peaceful Tibetan protesters last year left 219 Tibetans dead, 1294 injured, around 5,600 people still under arrest or detention and more than 1000 missing.The Times Online reported Tuesday that police in Tibet’s capital Lhasa arrested dozens of Tibetans for supporting campaign against celebrating the Tibetan New Year. Witnesses told The Times that uniformed and plainclothes police and members of the paramilitary People’s Armed Police were involved in the sweep, which began on Monday. They raided tea houses, which are popular with young Tibetans, and picked up people of all ages in the street. In Lhasa, government employees have been ordered by the authorities to provide guarantees that they will report to work every day, stay in their offices and not take part in any disturbances. They have been told to make sure that their family members comply and have been warned that those who disobey will be severely punished, The Times reported quoting sources in Lhasa.
