Five Tibetans arrested in Sog County

15th March 2014

DHARAMSALA, Mar 14: Chinese authorities have arrested five Tibetans including two monks of Drilda monastery in Sog County in Tibet Autonomous Region.
According to sources in area, they were arrested on Mar 6, the fifth day of the Tibetan New Year for allegedly sending photographs and messages considered subversive by the Chinese government through mobile phones.

Out of the five arrested Tibetans, the two monks of Trido Township’s Drilda monastery have been identified as Kalsang Tsultrim and Thupten Palden. The other three lay Tibetans who were all natives of Dowa village in Sog County have been identified as Norbu Dhondup, Monlam Gyatso and Tsering Tharpa.

Their families do not have any clue where they are being held.

Kalsang Tsultrim of Drida monastery was earlier arrested in May 2012 and had served a year in Toelung prison in Lhasa before being released.

Separately, out of the six youth of village No. 3 in Trido Township in Sog who were detained on Feb 3, (click the link at the bottom for related report) Sisum Dorjee, Lhakpa, Jamyang Gyatso and Dorjee have been released on the condition that they report to the authorities on a daily basis.

Whereabouts of the remaining two youth, Asang and Margon, could not be ascertained.

Also whereabouts and condition of the four monks of Dowa Shartsa monastery who were arrested on Feb 4 still remain unknown. (click the link at the bottom for related report)

Sources also confirmed seeing “Tibet is an independent country” written in large Tibetan letters with red metallic colour on the huge iron bridge in Drido Township.

With the arrival of around 20 military convoys with more than 80 security forces on Mar 10, Tibetans in the area are being thoroughly searched and restricted from visiting each other.

(Click the links below for related report)

http://www.khawakarpo.org/en/news/tibet/11492-2014-02-07-10-00-50

http://www.khawakarpo.org/en/news/tibet/11498-2014-02-11-15-42-39