By Tenzin Monlam
DHARAMSHALA August 13: Around 30 Tibetans were hospitalized after Chinese police beat up Tibetans gathered for a cultural performance forced to be held to mark the founding of the People’s Liberation Army in Kham Nangchen County (Yushu Prefecture) on August 1.
According to the Voice of Tibet radio, the Chinese government sources claimed that the cultural event was arranged to preserve and promote the Tibetan culture. However, the Tibetans accuse the Chinese authorities of thrusting the cultural performance on them to fallaciously showcase economic affluence in the region.
According to freetibet.org, the Tibetan residents were given strict directives to wear expensive traditional costumes and ornaments to showcase ‘development and prosperity’ under Chinese rule on the founding day of the People’s Liberation Army. The Tibetans were in unison not to wear any animal pelted dresses during the same, reported freetibet.org.
The Tibetans took a cautious stand against the whole gimmick after knowing about the ill-objectives of the authorities, sources said. The discontent among the Tibetans however reached the Chinese authorities who came to know about the Tibetans’ non cooperation. On the third day of the event on August 3, armed police barged into tents occupied by Tibetans and beat them up injuring at least 30 people.
In a similar incident in Nagshoe Township in Driru County on August 7, the Chinese authorities employed a similar tactic where the Tibetans were made to sing and perform wearing traditional dress with animal pelts in a ‘talent show’.
The authorities made it compulsory for all the residents of the county to attend the occasion. They brought costumes with wildlife pelts, and forced the Tibetans to wear them during their performances.
