The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) received confirmed information from reliable sources that in light of the ongoing hunger strike by the Tibetans in Delhi, India for the last twenty six days and the convergence of thousands of Tibetan from all walks of life in Delhi in next few days for staging a massive demonstrations has stirred the sentiments of Tibetan people inside Tibet.
According to a reliable source, it seems that the Chinese authorities in and around Lhasa City have issued terse instructions to travel agencies in and around Lhasa City that they were not suppose to provide help or assistance to any of expatriate Tibetans coming to Lhasa city during the coming days. If they do so they would be dealt with dire consequences of facing closure of their travel agency business if any untoward incident takes place.
The travel agencies were particularly directed to pay extra attention and vigilance on those Tibetans who come from America. In wake of heightened vigilance in and around Lhasa city, the Chinese officials ordered the Lhasa Public Security Bureau (PSB) to round up the beggars in the streets and to send back and handed them back to the officials of respective hometown and region from where they had came from. The beggars were issued with severe order not to ever return to Lhasa streets.
The tea shops, Internet cafes and telephone booths etc in all streets and alleyways of Bakhor (central market) were infiltrated by security police men in civilian dress. It is also reported that the number of police forces in civilian dress were also increased significantly to deal with any untoward incident. Moreover, restriction and vigilance was also stepped up in offices, schools, homes of ex-political prisoners and those of people whom the government deemed suspicious or normally held suspicious.
It is also said that the Chinese officials have already carried out investigations and tapped on the movements of these Tibetans but so far no one is reported to have been arrested or detained.
The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) expresses its serious concern over stepping up of restriction in and around Lhasa City. Such restriction and vigilance often give way to serious violations of Tibetan people’s fundamental human rights in the name of maintaining “stability and security” by the Chinese authorities. We appeal to the Chinese authorities to recall the imposition of restriction and vigilance and not to hinder the normal life of the Tibetan people.
