According to reliable information received by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD), the Chinese authorities are on an arrests and beatings drive of the Tibetan farmers staging a civil disobedience movement by refusing to till their farmlands in eastern Tibet. Earlier a monk Phuntsok, age 27, was beaten to death by the Chinese security forces on 25 March 2009 by the Chinese security forces for postings calling for a boycott of farming.

As reports keep surfacing from Drango County, Kardze "Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture" ("TAP"), Sichuan Province, sources told TCHRD that the Chinese authorities have arrested and severely beaten a number of farmers who defy authorities' order to till their farmlands. As previously reported by the Centre, a large contingent of People's Armed Police (PAP) has been deployed in Drango County to crush any kind of dissidence and protest. On 27 March 2009, when a group of farmers refused to comply the Chinese authorities order to till their farmlands, they were subsequently arrested and then subjected to severe beatings and ill-treatment. According to sources, fourteen Tibetans sustained injuries, some seriously. They were currently known to be kept in a hospital. The relatives of the injured Tibetans were not allowed to visit them at the hospital.

Sources say, some of the victims became unconscious after being subjected to inhumane beatings. A woman named Khethar from Kya-lam Village is currently said to be in an unable mental state after receiving severe beatings at the hands of Chinese security police. Many of them were forced to sign documents without knowing its contents. The victims of the Chinese police abuses were identified as Pema Lhamo, Yali, Palchen and Choekyi. They were from villages such as Kya-lam, Khang-mar Gang, Do-khor, Sar-bar, Khar-cha and Bar-dha all under Drango County.

The Chinese security forces in Drango were pursuing some Tibetans who eluded arrests. With the tragic death of monk Phuntsok still fresh in their minds, the farmers were refusing to farm their lands despite arrests and beatings. The situation in Drango County is said to be grim and volatile. The TCHRD expresses serious concern at the plight of Drango farmers as impasse continues.