DHARAMSHALA, March 3: China has heightened security measures and intensified control in Tibetans regions of Golok County and Rebkong County, two counties where self immolation protests have taken place in the past, ahead of the Tibetan National Uprising Day, a week from now, around the same time when the Lhasa protests of 2008 broke out.
A Tibetan from Golok, now living in Switzerland, said that Chinese security forces have camped in huge numbers in the vicinity of the County and Tibetan inhabited areas. “The security measure, I was told, is being beefed up for fear of any untoward incidents including self immolations prior to the March Tenth Uprising Day this year.”
The same source said that the intensification of security measures had begun even before the Tibetan New Year, and the celebration were marred by the fear of repression even during the Tibetan New Year.
Checkposts have been set up at various entry and exits points of the County, and frisking is being done on vehicles and people passing through.
Four people have protested by immolating themselves in Golok County, a hotbed for anti China protests since 2008. Only one of the four survived the immolation.
Meanwhile, similar situation is being reported from Rebkong County, where Chinese authorities sent officials wearing red bands on their shoulders and policemen into Tibetan homes, looking for banned pictures of the exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama.
A Tibetan with contacts in Rebkong said, “The Chinese authorities fear that there may be protests during major public gatherings like the Tibetan Losar, the March Tenth Uprising day, and also the Great Monlam Festival.”
The Chinese authorities also fear that the protests of March 14, 2008, might be repeated following 136 self immolations since 2009.
