DHARAMSHALA, March 25: A Tibetan monk has been detained following his arrest in Sog County on March 20, said Ngawang Tharpa, a Tibetan with contacts in the region.
Lobsang Dawa, 38, a monk of Sog Tsenden Monastery, was clandestinely taken from his monastic quarters on the night of March 20. There is no information on his whereabouts currently as police have not given any explanation for his arrest.
Tharpa said his sources indicated that the arrest might have been triggered by possession of banned contents including images of the Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama in his WeChat, a widely used micromessaging application which had led to several arrests in the past.
The authorities, the same source said, have recently started checking mobile handsets of individuals.
Lobsang Dawa took care as the monastery’s estate. His family lived in village 4 (Veychen) of Rawak village, Sog County.
Tharpa also said that the police have also arrested Tibetans travelling to Domed for studies from the region. Tharpa further said that it is hard to verify information due to severe restriction on communication and travelling in Sog County.
