Tibetan Monks Sent to Labor Camps For Spreading News of Buddhist Statue’s Destruction

Authorities have maintained a tight watch over monks and locals in Drago county.

Eleven Tibetans beaten and arrested by Chinese authorities in January for spreading news of the destruction of a 99-foot-tall Buddha statue and dozens of prayer wheels in southwestern China’s Sichuan province have been sent to labor camps in the region, Tibetans with knowledge of the situation said Friday.

Monks Tashi Dorjee, Tsering Samdup, Nyima Lhamo, and Abbot Pelga, along with Pelga’s assistant Nyima, and six other unidentified Tibetans were arrested following the destruction of the statue and 45 traditional prayer wheels in Drago (Luhuo) county of Kardze (in Chinese, Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in December 2021, said a Tibetan in exile who declined to be named for safety reasons.

“[They] are still being held in Chinese custody and now have been sent to labor camps,” he told RFA.

The 11 were arrested on suspicion of sending news and photos of the statue’s destruction — reported exclusively by RFA in early January — to contacts outside the region.

“A few of them also sustained injuries from beatings and torture, though much about their current conditions remain unknown,” the Tibetan in exile said.

Authorities have restrictions still in place at both the monastery and in the county, he said.

“A police station has been set up near the Mani prayer wheel that was demolished earlier by the Chinese authorities in Drago,” he said. “A few monks from the monastery and a few other individuals are stationed in this police station to keep an eye on the daily activities of local Tibetans and the monks of Drago Monastery.

“It is very difficult to explain how intense the situation in Drago is at the moment,” the source said.

Authorities in China’s Sichuan province forced Tibetan monks and residents to watch the demolition of the Buddha statue following official complaints that it was too high, Tibetan sources told RFA in an earlier report.

The prayer wheels authorities destroyed at the same time had been set up for use by Tibetan pilgrims and other worshipers, they said.

Pema Gyal, a researcher at Tibet Watch, a nonprofit that promotes the human rights, said that Tibetans who live in Drago county have told his group that are constantly interrogated by Chinese authorities and face a number of restrictions on their activity.

“So, it is clear that the Chinese government continues to suppress the Tibetans,” he told RFA.

A Tibetan monk from Drago who now lives in exile said Chinese authorities are wielding a heavy hand because of previous protests staged in the county.

Chinese government officials are “extra cautious of the region and try to eliminate everything that empowers the Tibetan language and Buddhist institutions,” the monk said.

A previous protest against Chinese rule took place in 2012 in Drago, leading to the arrests of many Tibetans, eight of whom are still serving prison terms, RFA recently learned from Tibetan sources with knowledge of the matter.

They include Sonam Lhundup, who was sentenced to life in prison; Chakbe, sentenced to 12 years; Kunthok, sentenced to 13 years; Kundup, sentenced to 11 years; and Tashi Dhargay and Namgyal Dhoundup, who each were sentenced to 14 years. Two other unidentified Tibetans are serving sentences of unknown durations.

Translated by Tenzin Dickyi for RFA’s Tibetan Service. Written in English by Roseanne Gerin.

Copyright © 1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. https://www.rfa.org

Popular Cat Breeds in India

The Bengal, Persian, Siamese, and British Shorthair are among the most popular cat breeds in India.The Persian stands out by its long fur and lean physique.The Siamese draws are well known for their their enormous ears and sleek body.Bengal cats are especially eye-catching because of their distinctive patterns, which include stripes on their backs and chestnut coats with white tiger stripes.

Read More

Some Cyber Security Softwares

Technological tools and services known as cyber security solutions aid in defending businesses against cyber attacks, which can lead to detrimental outcomes such as application downtime, sensitive data theft, reputational damage, fines for noncompliance, and much more.

Read More

UN Security Council Meets on Situation in Middle East, Including Palestinian Question

Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs of France and President of United Nations Security Council for the month of April, chairs the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.

Read More

Remote Island’s Brain-Damaged Seabirds Show Far-Reaching Impact of Plastic Pollution

Promoted as “Just Paradise,” Lord Howe Island hundreds of kilometers east of Australia is a unique environment home to plants and fauna found nowhere else in the world.

Read More

New Zealand Police Stopped Naked Driver

Some residents called New Zealand’s Queenstown police to report a naked man driving slowly and erratically on Morven Ferry Road, close to the interchange of State Highway 6. Earlier, he was spotted using a golf club to smash golf balls into the adjacent Arrow River before he got into his vehicle.

Read More

Dog Stories

Humans love dogs, and we have some of the best dog-related content on our website.Here some selected stories.

Read More

They Are Not Journalists But Propagandists

Politicians should remember that journalists have the  right to act as eyes and ears of the public.Hostile attitudes towards media is a dangerous and alarming trend.Polarization even in media, saddens us the most.After all nationalist and popular leaders and their cronies use powerful instrument like television news to influence public opinion by controlling them.

Read More

Cryptojacking

An online threat known as cryptojacking, or malicious crypto mining, sneaks onto a computer or mobile device and uses its resources to ‘mine’ cryptocurrencies, which are virtual monies.

Read More