For Immediate Press Release
                                                                                                                        May 2nd, 2008

Monks Defy Authorities Against Pledge to Denounce the Dalai Lama

According to a confirmed report, the monks of Gonsar monastery in Derge county (Ch: Dege) Kardze (Ch: Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (TAP) have defied the Chinese government's forced signature campaign requiring the monks to denounce His Holiness the Dalai Lama as a separatist.  
Authorities from county headquarters had come to Gonsar monastery on April 30 ordering all the monks to sign a form denouncing His Holiness the Dalai Lama. If they failed to do so, the authorities warned that the monastery will be closed down. Subsequently around 10 a.m., all the monks gathered in the chapel of the Protector Deity of the monastery and vowed not to sign the document. Gonsar monastery has been placed under tight military control. 
On April 28, 19 nuns from Shugseb nunnery together with 4 monks from Gangri Thoekar monastery in Chushul (Ch: Quxui) near Lhasa, staged a peaceful demonstration. Two nuns have been identified as Tsundu and Dangdrung. The protesters were soon arrested by the local Security personnel and their whereabouts remain unknown. The present peaceful protest by the nuns follows an earlier peaceful march carried out in March by the nuns of Shugseb nunnery in Chushul to Nyethang Lha Chenmo. They are heavily suppressed by the Chinese armed forces. The nunnery was since then subjected to forcible "patriotic re-education" campaign compelling the nuns to rise again. 
In another incident in Sershul county (Ch: Shiqu) under Kardze TAP, a lady named Tri Lhamo was compelled to commit suicide at her home near Wonpo monastery. The lady hung herself soon after a house-to-house raid by the Chinese armed forces on April 28. During the raid, Chinese forces tore down and trampled upon HH the Dalai Lama’s photos. First handedly witnessing this atrocious behavior, the lady broke down and shouted at the Chinese forces why she couldn’t keep the picture of her root-guru. She even shouted slogan for quick return of HH the Dalai Lama to Tibet and hung herself thereafter, sources said. Accordingly, unable to bear the endless suffering for days result of Chinese government's crackdown, a monk named Sonam Nyendrak, aged 70 years has gone insane. 
Around end of March, the Chinese government dispatched a contingent of officials to Sershul monastery in Sershul County to propagate "Patriotic re-education" classes among the monks of this monastery. It is learnt that the former abbot of the monastery, Thupten Nyendak Rinpoche, had amidst a large gathering of monks and laity called on the Chinese authorities that their blame of His Holiness the Dalai Lama as the instigator of the protests in Tibet was baseless. He said that the current crisis was a result of failed policy of Chinese government's to transfer Han Chinese into Tibet and lack of opportunity for a proper education. His Holiness is refuge of all the Tibetans and there is none among us who do not want to see Him, he had said. He then called on the government of PRC to engage in dialogue with His Holiness the Dalai Lama as soon as possible. The former abbot is now under virtual house arrest with his movements closely monitored by the Chinese security. 
On April 21, the local authorities in Sershul county had planned a Flag hoisting ceremony at Wonpo monastery. However, except for the Disciplinary In charge of the monastery, no monks or lay people turned up for the ceremony. The Disciplinary incharge also flatly refused to hoist the flag in the monastery premises saying, "I won't do it even if you slash my neck". The ceremony to fly the Red flag was then withdrawn. 
In a police raid in Tashi Kkyil monastery in Amdo (Qinghai) on April 15, some monks have been arrested. Among the arrested are Lusho Tenzin, Rebtsa Gendun Nagdang and Sangkhok Jamyang Jinpa. The three monks who underwent merciless beatings and torture at the hands of the officials are reported to be admitted in a hospital. But it could not be verified where they have been actually taken to.  
In an another development, a Tibetan named Nyima Drakpa from Barzi township in Tawu county has been arrested for allegedly passing on information through phone to the outside world.  
Similar reports of arrests have also surfaced from Wonpo area, where three Tibetans namely, Yidor, Kyedhar and Baluk Kyab have been harshly beaten before being arrested. 
 

In view of the ongoing critical situation inside Tibet, we urge the United Nations and the International community and organizations to the following urgent needs:

1. To immediately send an independent international fact-finding mission into Tibet
2. To exert pressure on the PRC government to allow unfettered access to free press in whole of Tibet
3. To pressure the PRC to end the brutal killings in the whole of Tibet
4. To immediately release all the arrested and imprisoned Tibetans
5. To extend immediate medical assistance to those injured Tibetans
6. To allow free movement of people and provide access to daily needs

 - Tibetan Solidarity Committee