July 2011

The situation in Ngaba county in eastern Tibet has been tense since mid-March when a 21-year- old Tibetan monk from the local monastery died after setting himself on fire. The tragedy took place on the third anniversary of demonstrations in Ngaba Town in 2008 when armed police shot dead at least 13 protestors including a 16- year-old schoolgirl, and it is thought that Phuntsog set fire to himself as a sign of peaceful protest against continuing oppression under Chinese rule.

Following the incident, China stepped up security in the region with armed police and the army surrounding the local monastery, Kirti monastery. 355 monks have been removed from the monastery by armed forces. Monks from Golog, Yushu and Chigdril counties were reportedly released sometimes in June. They are not allowed to return to Kirti Monastery. The whereabouts and wellbeing of the others remain unknown.

A group of mostly elderly women who kept vigil at the monastery were severely beaten and two elderly Tibetans died of unknown causes while trying to stop soldiers from taking monks. A patriotic re-education campaign is ongoing in Kirti and other monasteries in the surrounding area, and authorities will not leave until monks “react favourably”. Homes in Ngaba town have been searched and identity cards were checked as authorities searched for people staying in Ngaba who were not from the area. Over 30 Tibetans have been detained since Phuntsog’s death including two of his relatives.Two monks have been sentenced on unknown charges.

Journalists are now banned from the region and communication with Ngaba is heavily restricted. The mobiles phones of the monks were confiscated. People across Ngaba County report that it is not possible to use SMS service.  Internet is disconnected in whole of Ngaba town. Businesses such as restaurants and shops face difficulties with a massive decrease in customers due to the military and police presence and restrictions in Ngaba.

Latest news from Ngaba: According to monks from Kirti Monastery based in India two women who were detained on 21 April while trying to stop the removal of the monks were tortured in detention. Choekho, 45 and Serkyi, 37, were released on 17 May. The monks reported that:  “Their heads had been shaved, and they were beaten and abused so badly in detention that they are unable to look after themselves."

On 15 June monks at Kirti monastery reported that camera crews arrived to the monastery to film a religious ceremony they were ordered to take part in. They refused saying that the the government has staged the ceremony for propaganda purposes.

Click here for more photos

Click here for undercover video footage

Click here for a brief summary in English of VOA’s broadcast of the video footage from Ngaba. Translated by Tibet Society

(1)                                                                                                  (2)

(3)                                                                                                     (4)

(1): Plain clothes police used wooden and iron sticks to disperse crowds that protested after Phuntsog's self -immolation on 16 March.

(2) On 16 March People's Armed Police are deployed on Ying  Xiong Avenue near the main market in Ngaba Town just after a protest took place following Phuntsog's self-immolation.

(3): Checkpoint controlled by the army at Kirti Monastery on 19 March.

(4): Checkpoint controlled by the army at the outskirts of Ngaba Town on 18 March.

Credit: Free Tibe

Chronology of events in Ngaba County

Ngaba is a tradionally restive area with frequent protests against China's rule. More than a dozen unarmed civilian protesters were shot dead by Chinese forces in Ngaba in 2008 

From 5 March 2011 (Tibetan New Year), large numbers of police and plain clothes police were deployed to Ngaba County (Ch:Aba) Ngaba Autonomous Prefecture in the approach to the anniversary of the Tibetan Uprising.

• 10 March: the Dalai Lama announces that he will transfer his political responsibilities to an elected leader.

• 16 March: On the anniversary of the 2008 deadly shootings, Phuntsog, 21, sets himself on fire in Ngaba Town.

Hundreds protest at the scene; protesters were violently dispersed by armed police. Eyewitnesses also report scores of plain clothes police deployed into the crowds, using iron and wooden batons; laypeople and monks reported to have been detained.

• 17 March: Phuntsog dies of his injuries.

• 20 March to 21 March, from 8am: all Ngaba shops, businesses, including internet cafes, ordered to close. The day marks the election of the Tibetan Prime Minister in exile

Authorities deployed to Kirti monastery to “re-educate” the monks and monks are advised that ‘re-education’ will continue until monks “react favourably”

There is also a steady increase in numbers of military personnel deployed in the area. Restrictions on movement into and out of the monastery.

•  12 April: Reports of the arrival of dozens of military trucks and the presence of armoured vehicles at Kirti monastery. Unconfirmed reports received that further military personnel who arrived in Ngaba Town were housed in the local government hospital.

Local people, mostly women and the elderly, took the protection of the monastery and its monks into their own hands by forming a human shield at the gates of the monastery to prevent military personnel from entering. Reports received that the police used electric batons and dogs to disperse the crowds. Following the confrontation the army entered the monastery.

• 12-13 April: Homes in Ngaba town are searched during the night of  and identity cards checked as authorities searched for people staying in Ngaba who are not from the area.

• 13 April: At the request of Free Tibet, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office raise concerns  regarding the escalating situation in Ngaba with the Chinese Embassy in London.

• 15 April: US State Department describes restrictions at Kirti as “...onerous ...inconsistent with internationally recognised principles of religious freedom and human rights...”

• 16 April: the Dalai Lama believes the situation may “become explosive with catastrophic consequences” and calls on the international community to “persuade the Chinese leadership to exercise restraint”.

• 19 April:  Hong Lei, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson, denies reports of tensions in Ngaba and claims that “ ...the monks in the Kirti monastery enjoy a normal life and normal Buddhist activities, and the local social order is also normal". He went on to say that relations between the monks and police had "always been harmonious".

Monks are still not allowed to go to town and  a curfew at 8pm is imposed.

A patriotic re-education campaign which is launched on this day by hundreds of cross-county officials; it is to take place in the mornings. In the afternoons, small groups consisting of officials and security forces, often with video cameras, go around the monks' living quarters, conducting patriotic re-education in the monks' houses.

21 April: A group of county officals and police collect fingerprints from people in their homes in Ngaba town without explanation.

Patriotic re-education is now taking place not just in Kirti Monastery but in all monasteries in Ngaba County.

The army is now present in villages and townships in Ngaba County, staying in tents.

Dozens of laypeople and monks have been detained or are missing since 16 March, including two of Phuntsog’s relatives. Reports of arrests and disappearances continue to be received.

Monks heard rumours in the evening of 21 April that the government planned to remove monks from Kirti monastery, and so had gathered together inside the monastery. A Tibetan Ngaba Prefecture Official advised them that the authorities had no such plans and that they should return to their individual houses within the monastery.

Shortly afterwards telephone lines in Ngaba were cut and mobile telephone signals jammed. Within an hour, at around 9pm, groups of up to thirty police, army and government officials attended each house and forcibly removed up to 355 monks. The monks were advised not to bring money and to leave their personal belongings behind. The houses of the monks who were taken away are boarded up with a sign "Not allowed to open door".

Reuters news agency reports that China has imposed an official ban on foreigners travelling to Ngaba and surrounding regions.

A group of people, mostly elderly women, who have been outside Kirti monastery were taken to detention just before the monks were removed on 21 April. The group have been outside Kirti monastery for days to try to prevent the security forces from taking monks into detention.

They were dragged from the scene and held overnight in the County Detention Center. All of them except a young woman were released this morning. There are unconfirmed reports of many of them being injured. Two elderly people have reportedly died at the scene but the cause of their death is not known.

According to other reports a group of people (mostly elderly women) who were taken from outside Kirti Monastery yesterday were driven to a derelict area at the outskirts of Ngaba Town and beaten severly. Severe injuries are reported.

Mobile phone and internet communications were cut between 4pm 21 April till 4pm 22 April in Ngaba Town.

All shops and restaurants in Ngaba town were closed on 22 April. Only official cars allowed into the town.

1 May

Families of many of the monks who were taken away tried to come to Ngaba Town and speak to officials about the whereabouts of their relatives. They were stopped at checkpoints and turned back. Most of the monks taken from Kirti Monastery were from areas outside of Ngaba County.

Information from Ngaba County is now limited due to restrictions on communications as well as Tibetans being too frightened to pass on information about the situation.

May 16

Chinese authorities have alledgedly arrested two Tibetans in Ngaba.

Lobsang Khedup was taken from Kirti Monastery on May 6 and into police custody and his current whereabouts remain unknown.

A 60-year-old Tibetan man named Gerik is known to have been arrested on March 19, a day before exiled Tibetans went to polls for their Prime Minister and the Tibetan parliament in exile. Gerik was suspected of passing information concerning the situation inside Ngaba County to the outside world since 2008. His family have said that they were harassed following his arrest and that his daughter Metok, aged 23, was allegedly arrested on 22 March but released 10 days later.

It has also been reported that the Chinese authorities have released a list of monks who are not present in Kirti monastery and warned them against returning.

 Read more about Phuntsog's death and the following events in Ngaba County