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Tabe
Free Tibet is extremely concerned about the welfare and whereabouts of a young monk from the restive area of Ngaba county in Eastern Tibet, who was detained after setting himself alight as a means of protest in February 2009.
Tabe's dramatic protest was reportedly ended when Chinese armed police approached. Free Tibet's eyewitnesses said that they heard shots, and when they turned back, Tabe was on the ground. They said he was then bundled into a van and taken away. He has not been heard from since.
There have been reports that Tabe was told that he would have to have a leg and arm amputated after the incident, and some unverified claims that he had refused as it was possible the amputations were demanded to cover up bullet wounds.
Free Tibet's eyewitness sources said that Tabe, in his 20s and from Kirti monastery, walked into Ngaba town shouting slogans and holding a hand-drawn Tibetan national flag. They said that when he arrived in the town, he poured petrol over himself and set himself alight. He was immediately surrounded by several armed Chinese police, who pointed guns at Tabe.The eyewitnesses turned away from this unnerving scene at this point, but said they heard three separate gunshots. They could not verify for sure whether Tabe had been hit, but turned back to see that he had collapsed on the ground. The said that the police then extinguished the flames and brought Tabe into a nearby van which immediately left for an unknown location. The eyewitnesses could not tell whether he was dead or alive.
A charred Tabe is surrounded by armed police
Tabe before he was moved into a van
It is thought that Tabe's protest was sparked by earlier events. Less than an hour before his protest, 1,000 monks at Kirti monastery had gathered in front of the main prayer hall to observe the Monlam festival, which falls on the third day of Losar- Tibetan new year. The monks had gathered despite the Chinese authorities having forbidden them from observing Monlam. Upon arriving at the hall, the monks found the doors locked, and the monks returned to their rooms. Tabe left the monastery less than an hour later.
Kirti monastery had been under heavy surveillance and harsh restrictions since Chinese troops opened fire on unarmed Tibetan protesters in Ngaba town on 16 March 2008. Free Tibet's eyewitnesses reported that between 13 and 30 Tibetans were killed during this incident. Bodies of dead Tibeans were brought to Kirti, and passed on to Free Tibet, who distributed them to the international media. In September 2008, Free Tibet also reported on repression at Kirti, when 50 monks were badly beaten with rifle butts, spades and cleavers by armed police.
As with so many Tibetan protesters, Tabe has disappeared since the incident, and his location, wellbring and legal position are all unknown. His likely condition and claims about amputations being considered further amplify the level of concern which exists for all Tibetans who are trapped in the legal black hole of China's judicial system and at severe risk of torture.
Tabe alight in Ngaba town
