DHARAMSHALA, January 4: The abbot of Jhapa monastery in Tibet’s Nangchen who is currently in detention has asked his followers to remain calm, assuring them that he was safe in a Chinese detention centre in Chamdo. Khenpo Kartse, as he was popularly called, was arrested on the night of Dec. 6 from Chengdu where he had travelled regarding a purchase of an idol for his monastery.
Khenpo Kartse was interrogated by police teams from Beijing, Sichuan, Qinghai and Nangchenon Dec. 31, 2013. In a letter sent through Nangchen police team, Khenpo has assured fellow monks of the monastic community and local Tibetan communities of Nangchen that he was healthy and that he was not subjected to any torture in detention.
The captive abbot has further asked them not to worry about him. “No one should suffer because of me, I appeal fellow monks to concentrate on your routine monastic education. I also request everyone to remain calm and not take any steps in haste.”
Chinese authorities detained sixteen Tibetans including monks for their involvement in a protest on Dec. 18 demanding Khenpo Kartse’s release. Arrests took place on Dec. 21 in Nangchen and the Tibetans were taken away to Yushu (in Tibetan, Kyegudo) county center. Hundreds of monks and lay people in Nangchen walked with placards and banners. “Please look at the anguish of students separated from their teacher,” read a banner carried by the protesters.
Sources earlier reported that Khenpo Kartse was released after a brief arrest. However, it turns out that he had not been released as reported earlier.
