December 2001
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Detention and deportation of Tibetans at Nepali border
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Border security increased - thousands detained
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16 escapees detained in Lhartse
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Religious freedom for "right kind of lamas"
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Compulsory tax on students
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Chinese birth control policy affects Tibetan women
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Death of a baby during treacherous winter crossing
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14-year sentence for political activism
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Rural poverty heightened
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TCHRD calendar
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TCHRD Serthar report in English and Tibetan
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Visit from TCHRD funders
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TCHRD new members
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[ top ]
Dawa Tsering,
a Chinese passport holder, decided to flee
Tibet for India where many of his family now live and where
he hoped to meet the Dalai Lama. He brought his daughter's
children - Tashi Lamo (10) and her brother Dawa Tsetan (8)
while escaping. The children's father had died recently
and the family decided to send the children to India to
seek better education.
Tsering came to Nepal by way of Dram and crossed the
Friendship Bridge. As his two grandchildren did not hold
Chinese passports, Tsering hired a Tibetan driver and
paid him 6,000 yuan to ensure that the children reach
Nepal safely. The driver was to hand the children over
to a guide who would lead them across the border. This is
the last time that Tsering heard of the children.
The informant arrived at the Tibetan Reception Centre (TRC)
in Kathmandu on 6 December 2001. The TRC staff members
have been making efforts to find out the children but to
no avail. At the time of going to press, the children
remain missing.
In a similar incident, a nine-year-old boy named Kunga from
Dzogang County (Ch:Zuogang), Chamdo Prefecture, 'TAR',
was arrested by Nepali police after crossing the border
in a loaded truck. The boy was arrested in the second
week of December and after being held in detention he
became extremely distressed. In late December, the Nepali
police handed the boy to Chinese border police. However,
the current whereabouts of Kunga remains a mystery and
relatives report that he has not returned home as yet. The
relatives fear for the boy's safety and believe he may
have been detained in either Shigatse or Nyelam detention
centres.
Another case of juvenile detention has been reported to
TCHRD. A Tibetan man and his two children attempted to
escape via Dram. The man had a Chinese passport but his
children did not. The children were arrested by Chinese
police before crossing over to Nepal. They were transferred
to Shigatse and detained for 20 days. The father returned
to Shigatse to bail out his two children, which cost him
20,000 yuan. Later, the boys fled Tibet.
Tseyang (15) traveled to Dram from Lhartse County (Ch:Lazi
xian), Shigatse Prefecture (Ch: Rikaze), 'TAR', with two
other young Tibetans and a Sherpa guide. The group walked
for three days along mountainous tracks bypassing Chinese
border checkposts, and arrived in Nepal somewhere between
Tatopani and Barabise. They then boarded a bus bound for
Kathmandu.
After passing the Barabise checkpost in Nepal, several
Nepalese policemen entered the bus and interrogated the
passengers in Nepalese language. Tseyang, who wore Nepalese
woman's traditional dress went unnoticed as she sat amongst
several other Nepalese women in the bus. However, her two
companions, Choeda from Amdo and Tenzin from Lhartse, were
interrogated and removed from bus by the police. Tseyang
managed to continue the journey and arrived at the TRC in
Kathmandu on 18 December 2001.
TCHRD staff informed the TRC of the detention of Choeda and
Tenzin, who in turn immediately informed United Nations
High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) in Kathmandu. There
has still been no word as to the fate of Choeda and
Tenzin. Tseyang believes they might have been handed
over to Chinese border police or may still even be in
detention.
On 13 December 2001, a Tibetan man from Chamdo (Ch: Qamdo)
Prefecture, 'TAR', was arrested by Nepali border police at
Barabise for attempting to cross into Nepal. The police
transferred the man to Nepali Immigration Department
because he did not have necessary travel permits. He was
detained for one day at the immigration department before
being handed over to the Chinese authorities.
The man entered Nepal with three other Tibetans who
possessed Chinese passports. Upon being detained at
Barabisi, the Nepali police offered the Tibetan a chance
to cross over into Nepal for 1,000 yuan. As he did not
have the money, the police sent him to Nepali Immigration Department.
The TRC staff has already alerted the UNHCR in Kathmandu
who reportedly contacted Nepali Immigration Department.
However by the time TRC staff could travel to the border,
the man had already been sent back across the border to
the Chinese authorities.
In December 2001, another group of seven Tibetans was
said to have deported by the Nepali police for attempted
entry into Nepal. The details of this deportation were
unclear. Just as unclear are reports of recent detention
of the uncle of an important figure in Tibetan Buddhism.
[ top ]
In an unprecedented intensification of border security
measures in 2001 has led to arrests of large number of
Tibetans trying to flee Tibet. On 16 October 2001, Xinhua
news agency, reported that border security officials of
'TAR' had apprehended some 2,500 Tibetan crossing the
border.
Recently-arrived refugees in Nepal have testified to
TCHRD that many of these Tibetans have suffered beatings,
torture and imprisonment, in some cases resulting in death.
Large numbers of Tibetans have attempted to flee from
areas such as Shigatse, Lhartse, Nyelam and Dram. It is
reported that along with their arrest, many people have
had their possessions confiscated upon being detained.
Tashi (name changed to protect anonymity), (35) from
Drayab County (Ch: Chaya xian), Chamdo Prefecture, 'TAR'
recently arrived in Nepal and reported on the detention
of seven Tibetans on 8 May 2001. The informant, who is a
businessman from Lhasa, was on his way to Dram with seven
Tibetans from Kham. At the last checkpoint before Dram,
PSB officers stopped the vehicle and interrogated the
seven Tibetans as to their destination.
Following the interrogation, the Tibetans were taken to a
detention centre in Dram. The informant was concerned for
their safety and followed them to the detention centre. He
tried to convince the PSB that the detainees were not
going to India but to Dram to meet with relatives and
friends. Though the informant had valid travel permits,
he was detained for his interference and defense of
the escapees. His driving license was confiscated.
After being detained at Dram, the group including Tashi
were transferred to Shigatse Detention Centre.
At Shigatse Detention Centre, all their money was
confiscated. The informant had 18,500 yuan taken from him
and it was never returned. Tashi was accused of being
guide for the group of seven Tibetans on the basis of
his attempts to defend them. During detention, he was
tortured. The length of Tashi's detention was longer than
the other seven. They were detained for only three months
after thorough interrogations.
Tashi reported that there were approximately 150 prisoners
in Shigatse Detention Centre. The informant was initially
confined to his cell for two months and then he did
forced labour. At that time he noticed three nuns in the
detention centre who all disappeared after some days -
Tashi was not aware of what happened to them. He saw one
elderly man called Tseko, who was ill, being released on
the first day of their arrival in the detention centre.
Whilst in detention, Tashi saw a group of eight Tibetans
from Amdo who were arrested in Lhartse County (Ch: Lazi
xian), Shigatse Prefecture, 'TAR', in late August. They
were detained for one month. These Tibetans have relatives
in Lhasa, who do business. The relatives secured their
release by paying a fine of 2,000 yuan for each of
them. The informant believe that at least 12 people
were sentenced to 'Laojiao' (Re-education through Labour
Camps) from one to three years in Lhasa. Some of these 12
prisoners had already spent a year in detention.
As none of the Tibetans mentioned during interrogation that
Tashi was acting as a guide for them, the PSB eventually
let him free. Had his name been associated with acting
as a guide and assisting Tibetans to flee, he would have
been detained for several years.
Tashi was released on 12 October 2001 after being detained
for five months. Upon release, Tashi's driving license was
returned to him although he did not get his money back.
Tashi went on to say that by the time he was released,
Shigatse Detention Centre was full of people arrested
for attempting to escape. On the day of his release, the
informant noticed an elderly woman with her six-year-old
son being brought to the detention for attempted escape. He
heard the elderly woman and her son were released few days
later for no apparent reason.
[ top ]
A recent arrival reported to TCHRD on the detention of
16 Tibetans in December 2001 in Lhartse County, Shigatse
Prefecture, 'TAR'. On 26 December 2001, a truck carrying
a number of passengers including 16 Tibetans was stopped
by Chinese PSB in Lhartse. The truck was on its way from
Lhasa to Tingri County (Ch: Dhingri xian) in Shigatse.
In the course of the interrogations, the Tibetan refugees
were discovered without travel permits and taken off the
truck. The PSB confiscated the truck driver's license.
The 16 Tibetans were taken to the Shigatse Detention Centre
and interrogated about their destination.
Prior to being detained in Lhartse, the group of Tibetans
had managed to avoid arrest in Shigatse by the PSB, who
had been alerted to the groups' presence in Shigatse. The
Tibetans were planning to travel to India to attend the
Kalachakra teachings given by the Dalai Lama in Bodh
Gaya. Some amongst the group came from Karze County,
Lithang County, etc and included two elderly people aged
over 60 and four teenagers aged under 15.
No further word has since been heard about the condition
of any of these detainees.
[ top ]
Lobsang
(name changed) reported that since 1996, to receive
Chinese endorsement as a recognised Lama in Nagchu (Ch:
Nagchu), monks are required to publicly denounce the Dalai
Lama and undergo an examination of their political stance.
Lobsang, a Lama from Nagchu, stated that only those
Lamas who publicly denounce allegiance to the Dalai Lama
were able to enjoy "full rights of religious freedom".
The informant said, "As a Lama, there is a great deal of
pressure to promote Chinese Communist Party ideology and
propaganda through our teachings and religious discourses,
either to monastic or to the lay community. Local Chinese
authorities often sit during the teachings and interject
with political comments and control the content and flow
of teaching. The Chinese authorities also monitor private
lives of the Lamas to ensure that we conform to communist
party ideology both in public and in private".
The informant reported the Nagchu Chinese authorities only
register Lamas whose political opinions and attitudes
complied with Chinese Communist Party ideology. Lamas
who promote "Chinese inspired socialist and religious
propaganda" encompassing themes such as "Love the Country,
Love the Religion" were more likely to be registered by
the authorities and allowed to practice.
The effect of this policy was to limit inclusion of
independent Buddhist Lamas into monasteries in Nagchu thus
compromising on the quality of teachings for monks and
nuns, and the lay community. Lobsang said many Lamas do
not receive necessary registration papers and consequently,
access to monasteries and teachings to local Tibetans are
hindered. The local Tibetans suffer as only registered
Lamas are able to teach in the villages and then only
under supervision of appropriate authorities.
The presence and influence of Chinese authorities in the
monasteries has negative effects on the ability of monks
and nuns to maintain discipline and authority, according
to the Lama. He further commented, "where once a monk
or nun may have been punished for smoking or drinking,
infringements such as these now go unpunished, with the
consent of the Chinese authorities".
Lobsang lamented, "Many are worried about the loss of
traditional cultural and religious activities and the
changes that have taken place. The absence of trusted
Lamas at this time heightens the difficulties faced by
Tibetans in religious spheres. Some Lamas are so taken up
with appeasing the demands of the Chinese authorities that
they do not have time to conduct the traditional teachings
required of a Lama. The pressure on some Lamas is such
that their movements are constantly watched and their
freedom to move about the area unescorted is curtailed."
[ top ]
Choeyang
graduated as a teacher in 1998 after studying for
her certificate at a teacher-training centre in Jyekundo
County (Ch: Yushul), Qinghai. She worked in a village
primary school in Jyekundo, and taught mathematics, Chinese
and Tibetan. She was paid a monthly salary of 1,300 yuan.
Ninety percent of students of the school were Tibetan, and
the rest were Chinese. Classes were conducted in Chinese
language and activities such as celebration of Tibetan
festivals, observance of Tibetan culture, and references
to the Dalai Lama were forbidden. For example, holidays
were granted only on Chinese festivals to celebrate the
occasion.
Choeyang reported on the tax imposed on students every
year in her county by the local school authorities.
Every June and July, the entire school would be sent up to
the hills to search for Yartza Gunbu (caterpillar Fungus).
The school was responsible for organising the trip and
each day, Choeyang and her class would go up into the
mountains to search for Yartza Gunbu. Each student was
responsible for collecting up to 50 - 60 plants in a month.
Teachers and other adults involved in the school had to
collect 60 - 70 plants per month.
Choeyang related, "Every year it became harder and harder
for people to locate the plant and meet the quota for
collection of Yartza Gunbu. So many people now hunt for
the plant that even experienced collectors can only find
up to 30 plants a month. Last year, I could find only one
good Yartza Gunbu plant per day. When we had collected the
required quota (or as much as we could), local authorities
would then assess the quality of what was collected -
maturity, quality etc."
Often, the Yartza Gunbu collected was of poor quality or
they would not have collected enough. As a consequence,
the school authorities imposed a system of fines. The
salaries of teachers were reduced and students (or their
families) were fined with eight yuan for each Yartza Gunbu
not collected.
The informant reported the school was never allowed to keep
any of the Yartza Gunbu and she was not sure what the local
authorities did with the collected plants. She knew of the
mother of a school friend who sold her blood for money in
order to pay the fines imposed on them for not collecting
enough Yartza Gunbu. In another incident, two men with
children at the school who had not been able to collect
the required amount of plant went instead to fish in the
hope that they would be able to exchange the fish for their
fines, which they were unable to pay. They used a common
method of catching fish quickly - dynamite. Unfortunately,
the dynamite blew up in their faces, killing one of the
men and seriously wounding the second man.
Choeyang said that opportunities for promotion in
teaching field in her area were severely limited. As even
with a teaching certificate, finding employment is very
difficult. Last year, the local authorities told Choeyang
to study further and provided 200 yuan per month as subsidy
but she was required to fund the rest of the expenses
incurred. She commented that the process of securing
employment or of having their position secured is not
difficult for those students whose families have money or
good family connections. It was this lack of opportunity
that finally led Choeyang to leave Tibet.
Another refugee from Kartze County reported that it is
becoming increasingly difficult for Tibetans to find
opportunities to improve their standard of living. He
talked of the well-known concept of guanxi (connection
with officials) becoming more widespread and impacting
on all aspects of society. He went on to state guanxi and
bribery were ubiquitous amongst Chinese officials.
[ top ]
Many Tibetan refugees arriving in Kathmandu, report on
human rights violations taking place in Tibet as a result
of application of the Chinese birth control policy.
Gelek
(23) from Qinghai, reports that Chinese birth
control policy is rigidly enforced in his area. Every
year, officials from township and county level visit all
villages to check on each family. All new babies have to
be registered with the county authorities. Families are
allowed three children and if this quota is exceeded,
women are forcibly sterilised.
Gelek state that every year, a number of women (he is
unclear how many), are taken to Sangshul Township to be
sterilised. The women taken for sterilisation are required
to pay full costs of the operation and all medical care
necessary. The local Chinese authorities encourage Tibetans
through propaganda to only have one child.
Lobsang (31) from Nagchu County (Ch: Naqu xian), Nagchu
Prefecture, "TAR", report that Chinese authorities have
applied birth control policy in Tibet, as if Tibet were
China, oblivious to the different cultural and ethnic
factors that shape population control. Consequently, the
policy as applied to Tibetan communities is flawed in its
approach and results in human rights violations in many
different areas of Tibet. The informant stated that the
policy is applied to women with ages ranging between 25 - 40.
In 1999, five women in Nagchu County were forcibly
sterilised, a dangerous operation given the standard of
medical care available in the county hospital. One week
later, one of the women died due to complications with the
surgery. Many women in the area are now fearful of being
forced into this operation, but Lobsang said once women
exceed the number of children permitted by the Chinese,
they have no choice but to have the operation.
In Tingri County, each family in the village is allowed
to have only three children. In 1997, the informant's
wife, after giving birth to the third child, was told
by township authorities and head of the local women (Ch:
zhouring) to either submit for a sterilisation operation or
take contraceptive measures. Owing to poor health of the
informant's wife, they resorted to taking birth control
pills. For the first year the local authorities provided
the pills free of cost but for the last three years, the
family has had to bear expenses incurred on the pill. They
paid two yuan per pill.
Every year the township and county authorities inspect each
family and record the birth of children. Those women who
already had three children were coerced into submitting for
a sterilisation operation. The operation requires a visit
to the county hospital, three hours walk away from the
village and the patient has to bear all costs associated
with the operation. The township hospital has five Tibetan
doctors, although they only prescribe Chinese medicine.
Another escapee from Drayab County, Chamdo Prefecture,
"TAR", feels that a serious issue in his local area is
birth control. In the past six years, he says the local
Chinese administration has become stricter in enforcing two
or three child policy for farmers and nomads respectively.
He reports that under the leadership of the local village
head, each family was examined. Those women who had two
children already were listed and told when to present
at the county hospital. "At that time, 50-60 women were
sterilised in a day. It is claimed that 700 women were
operated upon at that time alone in Drayab County. If the
woman was not sterilised then she would be fined 1,600 yuan
(US$188), and with an additional birth there would be more
fine." The informant reported that living standards were
not high in his area, and that the possibility of a fine
would constitute a burden that most families could not
face, "so the families have no choice but to go for the
operation."
In another village in the same county, three of four women
are reported to have undergone treatments in 2001 that is
believed to be the cause of severe reproductive problems.
The informant said, "They gave medicines to some girls
and they couldnt give birth to children anymore. After
they gave medicines to the girls, [it seemed] the foetus
in their womb didnt die immediately. It was said that they
gave an injection when one girl was eight months pregnant,
and was having trouble delivering the baby. So, the baby
died, and she was taken ill for a long time."
[ top ]
Shodo Thashen,
his pregnant wife
Tashi Dolma
and their four children — Tenzin Dhargyal (9), Lobsang Yeshi (7),
Tenzin Wangchok (6) and Yeshi Dolkar (4) — fled Tibet
after spending nine years in Lhasa.
They lived in Lhasa without an officially sanctioned ration
card, which entitles a person to make purchases of land,
goods and animals. After nine years, the couple's resources
were eventually depleted. This lack of opportunities,
particularly for his children, spurred the couple into
making the decision to leave Tibet for India.
Thashen took his family and walked from Lhasa to
Mt. Kailash first for pilgrimage. It took the family three
months to arrive and to circumambulate the Mt. Kailash
nine times. Along the way, they passed through three
checkpoints where the officers check for people's papers.
Thashen possessed a citizenship card from Jomda County but
his wife had no papers, and was nine months pregnant by the
time they reached the last checkpoint. Dolma believes that
his wife's pregnancy and a bit of luck enabled the family
to make it through the checkpoints each time without any
problems.
At Mt. Kailash, Dolma's wife gave birth to a healthy
baby girl. To help ease the difficulties of a mountain
crossing, the family became part of a group of eight
escapees who were trying to flee to India. After walking
for 23 days thorough the mountains, the newborn baby
died. The couple believes that the cold and fatigue during
the treacherous mountain crossing in the wintry weather
has caused the death of his fifth daughter. The couple
brought the corpse of the baby with them to Kathmandu where
staff at the Tibetan Reception Centre helped to organise
for a cremation to take place. The family and the others
arrived at the TRC in Kathmandu on 28 November 2001.
The couple said that while in Lhasa, their children
attended a privately-run primary school where all the
students and teachers are Tibetan. However, no cultural
activities or discussions regardin the Dalai Lama were
allowed. They paid 35 yuan per child per month, a cost that
became increasingly hard to bear over the years. Moreover,
the staff of the school were constantly harrassed by
local authorities to send the students to state-sponsored
schools.
Thashen spoke on trading in Lhasa, "It has become very
hard over the last few years to trade in Lhasa. Before
traders would move around the counry trading goods. In
my case, I used to buy jewellery from different areas of
Tibet and bring them to Lhasa. In recent years, it has
become difficult to move around the country and there
are shortage of trading goods also. The presence of large
number of Chinese in Tibet discourages Tibetan businessmen
from operating. The Chinese business competitors often
outshine Tibetan traders due to good connections."
[ top ]
Tenpa Wangdrag
(lay name: Sonam) was born in 1941 to a
farming family in Nedong County, Lhokha Prefecture, "TAR".
As a small boy, Wangdrag joined a small Gelug monastery,
near his home. During the Cultural Revolution the monastery
suffered complete destruction. So, Wangdrag, together
with other fellow monks worked in a labour camp making
bricks and doing carpentry until 1980.
In 1980, Beijing government relaxed their policies on
religious freedom. Wangdrag was among the first group of
people, who were allowed to start restoring the completely
destroyed site of Gaden Monastery. He worked as a carpenter
for five years and lived in a tent. Wangdrag joined
debating classes after they restarted in 1986 and returned
to his studies of philosophy and Buddhism. He was the
ritual master at Gaden Monastery until his arrest in 1988.
On 4 October 1987, Wangdrag and 50 monks from Gaden
Monastery, made plans to demonstrate in Lhasa for Tibetan
independence, following the demonstrations on 27 September
and 1 October of the same year by monks from Drepung and
Sera monasteries. However, due to a new PSB checkpoint
at Tagtse Bridge, the group was unable to demonstrate.
Subsequently, Wangdrag provided other monks at Gaden with
pamphlets about Tibetan freedom, including a speech of the
Dalai Lama, which they copied numerous times and posted
around the monastery and in Lhasa. Around the same time,
"work teams" arrived at Gaden to monitor activities of
the monks and advised them against engaging in political
demonstrations.
Despite the official orders, Wangdrag spoke out against
the "work team" at a meeting of about 300 monks. He said
at the meeting that he could not listen to their advice
and wanted to dedicate his life to his Buddhist God.
On 5 March 1988, the last day of the Great Prayer Festival,
Wangdrag and four other Gaden monks were in Lhasa for
the festival. On seeing the Chairman of the United Front,
Zheng Ying, at the south of the Barkor, they surrounded him
and appealed to him for the release of Yulo Dawa Tsering,
a Lama from Gaden Monastery who had been arrested the
previous year for talking to foreigners about Tibetan
independence. Following this incident, the monks began
shouting slogans such as "Free Tibet" which started a
demonstration that was to become the largest demonstration
in Lhasa during the late 1980s.
The next day, Wangdrak was arrested at Gaden by PSB,
along with five other monks. While being taken to Seitru
Detention Centre in Lhasa, the monks were beaten and their
hands tied behind their backs. Wangdrag was interrogated
on 20 different occasions by PSB and other highly placed
Chinese officials at the detention centre. After six months
his case was sent to Lhasa People's Procuratorate.
According to the "1989 Criminal File: No. 5", Wangdrag
was interrogated by the Procuracy only once and on 19
January 1989, was sentenced by the Lhasa Middle Court
to 14 years imprisonment and deprivation of "political
rights" for four years. He was accused of organising
the demonstrations on 5 March 1988, and of engaging in
"counter-revolutionary activities". Wangdrag appealed
the severity of his sentence to the "TAR" High Court,
but they rejected his appeal.
On 6 March 1989, Wangdrag was transferred to Drapchi
Prison. He had refused to change from his monk clothes
while staying at the detention centre. At Drapchi however,
he was forced to wear the standard blue uniform. He stayed
in Unit One with criminal prisoners for five months,
until the male political prisoner unit was established in
1989. He worked in the kitchen at that time, helping the
cook and sometimes in the fields planting vegetables.
On 31 March 1991, the then US Ambassador to China, James
Lilley, visited Drapchi prison. During his visit Wangdrag
tried to present a petition to the Ambassador, written
by political prisoners at Drapchi, listing the names of
prisoners who had been tortured and their grievances.
Unfortunately a Chinese interpreter snatched the document
out of his hand, before the Ambassador could take
it. As a result of this incident he was put in solitary
confinement for 27 days, before being transferred with
four other political prisoners to Powo Tramo prison,
800 km from Lhasa. Drapchi authorities said Wandrag had
been responsible for the unrest among political prisoners
at Drapchi and that he should be separated from them.
Following the transfer, the remaining prisoners, fearing
their friends had been taken to be executed, protested
and demanded to know what had happened to their friends.
After arriving at Powo Tramo, Wangdrag was placed into
solitary confinement for two months and then transferred
to Unit Three, which is reserved for criminals. He was
kept in Unit Three for three years. Whilst in Unit Three,
Wangdrag's job was to manure the vegetable gardens by
removing human waste from the unit and taking it to
the fields. This job began to affect Wangdrag's health,
particularly his eyesight, although he still had to work
in the fields. Over time, Wangdrag's general health also
began to deteriorate.
Unit three had no medical clinic and so Wangdrag had to
wait for the doctor to come once a month. Unfortunately
the doctor was unable to help his eyes in any way due to
lack of medical resources. Eventually, his eyesight was
so bad that the authorities took him to Dam Chu Hospital,
near Powo Tramo Prison. He had to visit the hospital a
number of times and each time, Wangdrag had to cover all
the expenses incurred through the examination and for any
medicines provided.
Wangdrag has not seen his family since his incarceration
at Powo Tram, due to the distance from his family's home
in Lhoka Prefecture to Powo Tramo, which is about 1,000
kilometres. In any case, his family can only afford to
visit him once a year. Wangdrag is due for release on 5
March 2002.
[ top ]
A
53-year-old farmer
from Drayab county, Chamdo Prefecture, "TAR",
provided information on the Chinese government's
grassland allocation policy. "It has been 4-5 years since
they distributed the grasslands. They told us not to let
other people's cattle come into our land. They said that
if someone else's cattle came to your land you should
collect 100 yuan from the owner of the cattle.
"Each place fights about 3-4 times in a year. If we live
friendly and happily with our neighbouring people they
tell us that we can not live this way. They distributed
the grasslands and they divided the river and always make
to fight. They (the government officials) don't come at
all to give advice. Yet they will be happy if we fight.
They can make [corrupt] money if we fight."
He said that fights over grassland in other areas have been shown on
television.
This farmer also described collection of Yartsa Gunbhu.
"There used to be lots of caterpillar fungus but recently
people from outside the region have come to pluck it.
These people get a permission pass from the township
authorities We used to get 7-8 gyama of fungus, with 4
people collecting at a time. Now we only get 3-4 gyama
because that is all that is left after outsiders come in."
Finally, he said that the government "told us it would be
good if we take up business. They said we should become
traders." He comments "If we become traders they will be
able to take lots of tax."
[ top ]
For the first time in its history, TCHRD has brought out a
2002 Human Rights calendar.
Each month of the calendar
describes incidences of human rights violations in Tibet
pertaining to the month.
The calendar has some of the best paintings drawn by
Tibetan students during All-India Tibetan School Human
Rights Drawing Competition organised by the centre on 25
April December 2000 to commemorate the 10th Panchen Lama's Birthday.
[ top ]
TCHRD published a small
report on Serthar Institute
in both English and Tibetan language in December 2001.
The report covers recent crackdown against Serthar Institute,
history of repression, background on the institute,
massive expulsion and demolition operations, Khenpo Jigme
Phuntsok's (the abbot) current whereabouts and condition,
and other additional information.
Serthar Institute is located in Serthar County, Karze
"TAP", Sichuan. After years of escalating restrictions
imposed by the Chinese authorities, over 7,500 religious
practitioners at Serthar Institute faced forced expulsion
and demolition of over 2,000 dwellings, by October 2001 to
ensure the eviction was permanent. The current whereabouts
of the revered Khenpo Jigme Phuntsok remains uncertain.
To avail a copy of the report, do mail us at
or visit the TCHRD website
www.tchrd.org/publications/
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TCHRD happily received Gregor Enste, Head of Asia Desk,
HBF, and Ulrich Voight from the Federal Ministry for
Economic Cooperation and Development, Germany. The two
were on an informal tour of Dharamsala. They were briefed
on the Centre's past and future activities.
[ top ]
The Centre would like to welcome following individuals into
TCHRD membership fold. The membership list has spiralled
from 435 to 466 as of December 2001.
The new members are Chiesa Elsa-Equazione, Dhondup
Dorjee, Epeso Veronique, Renol Benjamin, Tsewang Lhamo,
C.A.Kallianpur, Dawa Tsering, Kelsang Tsomo, Tenzin
Thupten, Tenzin Choekyi, Kehdup Waiser, PhuntsokDorjee,
Phuntsok Dolma, Along Peter Manen, Puneet K Dhaliwal, Jigme
Norbu, Tenzin Lodoe, Stephan Salyer, Stephanie Salyer,
Stacy Jacobsen, Ahmad Munaf Siddique, Shivansh Singh,
Annop K. Singh, Vaibhar Pandey, Jigar Bhatt, Amar Krishna
Vyas, Prune De Montvalon, Acharya J. Losal, Acharya Yeshi
Phuntsok, N.K. Gupta, Dechen Tsering (Wangchuk Tsering)
and Greg Younger-Lewis.
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