Four monks arrested from Zachukha for hurling pamphlets demanding Tibet’s independence

DHARAMSALA, 19 Nov: Chinese authorities have arrested four Tibetan monks from Zachukha in the traditional Tibetan province of Kham after hundreds of pamphlets demanding Tibet’s independence were thrown inside the courtyard of a Chinese government’s buildings in the region.

Multiple sources have told The Tibet Express that Kunsel, 20 along with Tamey, Sota and Tsultrim, all-around 18 years old were arrested by the Chinese police on the evening of 7 Nov earlier this month allegedly for their involvement in the protest.

The young monks were reportedly whisked away by police along with their teacher Shergyam from Dza Wonpo Gaden Shedrup Dhargyaling  monastery in the region.

According to sources, while their Teacher was reportedly released on 18 Nov, the four monks were being held in Shershul county in the region.

One source claimed that the incident resulted due to China’s rampant and ill-advised development of traditional Tibetan nomadic pastures in the region into urbanisation.

“Recently, relocated nomads in the urban settlements were forced to replace the Dalai Lama’s portrait with that of Mao and Xi’s in their houses and to praise the CCP. They were made to write the praises

while the Chinese officials recorded it on video,” the source said.

“The practice was widespread all across Zachukha,” he said and added that “it created discord among Tibetans in the region as the Chinese authorities have shared the footage on the social media, hence the Tibetans in the region protested.”

While China’s tight grip and surveillance in Zachukha in particular and Tibet at large makes it hard to smuggle information out of occupied Tibet and to provide more details about the four monks under detention, another source added that the authorities are rounding up random monks and laypeople from the region for interrogation.

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