Two Tibetans detained for taking protest photo

DHARAMSALA, Sep 4: Chinese authorities have detained two Tibetan villagers for taking photos of a protest by Tibetans in eastern Tibet on Aug 12, during which Chinese police opened fire on unarmed Tibetans, according to a report by the Washington based Radio Free Asia.

The Tibetans were demanding the release of Denma Wangdak, a widely respected Tibetan leader of Shukpa Village in Sershul County in Kardze Autonomous Prefecture, who had complained to the authorities over the harassment of Tibetan women by senior Chinese officials at a cultural performance during their visit to the county.

At least 12 Tibetans were seriously injured, of which four died of gunshot injuries as they were denied medical care by the authorities and another one killed himself in protest against denial of medical treatment for the injured.

The two men have been identified as Tsekhok and Pagya, both natives of Yundok village in Sershul County.

Other details such as the date on which they were detained and their current whereabouts could not be confirmed as communication channels have been locked down in the area.

Denma Wandak’s whereabouts and condition also remain unknown, almost a month after his arrest.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *