Reportage – 2005

Exiled Tibetans concerned over crackdown on monks

DHARAMSHALA, India, 2 December 2005

Following the violent crackdown and imprisonment of Tibetan monks protesting the Chinese "patriotic education" campaign at Drepung monastery in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, the Tibetan government-in-exile expressed concern about the unleashing of force against the monks who were peacefully expressing their views.

"We hope the report was not true", said the minister for information and international relations, Lobsang Nyandak, of the exiled government, based in Dharamshala, India.

"If it was true, it is a matter of grave concern," he added.

Two monks have reportedly committed suicide and around 70 monks were imprisoned on 29 November after the Chinese work-team intensified the "patriotic education" campaign, according to a report released by the Tibetan Youth Congress, which is also based in Dharamshala.

The Tibetan Youth Congress, condemning the current crackdown, termed the "patriotic education" campaign a "notorious" one and added that, "The world knows that Tibet is still a Tiananmen".

The Chinese authorities have been conducting a "patriotic education" campaign in the monastery since the first week of October 2005 through a "work-team".

The work-team forced the monks to sign a document denouncing the Dalai Lama as a "separatist" and to pledge their loyalty to the Chinese government by accepting "Tibet as a part of China". The monks refused to sign these documents, which led to the expulsion of five monks from the monastery initially on 23 November.

Two days after the arrests more than 400 monks held a peaceful solidarity protest at the monastery, but soldiers and police put down the protest and the resisting monks received severe beatings. Since 25 November, nobody has been allowed to either enter or leave the monastery premises.

However, the exiled government has adopted a soft stance in responding the situation. Mr Nyandak requested the Tibetans in Tibet to be as patient as possible to avoid any unrest.

Mr Nyandak's request was considering the on-going process of dialogue between Beijing and the envoys of the Dalai Lama. "It is important to have a peaceful and conducive atmosphere to further progress the dialogue to resolve the Tibetan issue."

Two envoys of the Dalai Lama and the Chinese leadership had four rounds of meetings since 2002 after the two sides renewed a contact that was scrapped in 1993.

The Tibetan government-in-exile led by the Dalai Lama is no more seeking an independent Tibet but autonomy.

China occupied Tibet with force in 1959, which led to the flight of the Dalai Lama into exile in India. He established the Tibetan government-in-exile, in Dharamshala, a North Indian hill station, and is campaigning for a peaceful resolution to the Tibetan issue.