May 27 – The presidents of the 5 NGOs leading the March to Tibet, Tsewang Rigzin, B Tsering, Ngawang Woebar, Chime Youngdrung, and Tenzin Choeying, were arrested this morning around 9:30am.
They had gone to meet with the District Magistrate of Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand State, as fulfillment of an appointment made yesterday, and to appeal that the marchers be allowed to move ahead. They were arrested at Berinath, where the local police station is based, 16 kilometers from the site of the marchers’ camp. As of 1:30pm this afternoon, the five were still being detained. They are being charged under Section 151 of the Indian Penal Code, for gathering in “an assembly of five or more persons likely to cause a disturbance of the public peace, after such assembly has been lawfully commanded to disperse.”
The three utility trucks belonging to the march have also been seized by the police.
None of the marchers have been taken away as of yet.
