DHARAMSHALA, September 17: The situation in Tibet’s restive Ngaba town continues to be tense with the Chinese government authorities stepping up restrictions following five solo protests in less than two weeks, said Kanyag Tsering of the exiled based Kirti monastery here.
Though information is hard to arrive from across the border, Kanyag said the identity of one of the bystanders arrested for supporting the two solo protesters of September 10 has been confirmed as Aye Gumo, aged about 64, from division no.2 of Kharsar village in the Rong area of Ngaba county. Gumo’s current whereabouts and condition are not known.
Aye Gumo belongs to the Namkha-kyaptsang family which comprises of nine members in the household, including her husband. She raised her livelihood by cleaning the streets of Ngaba town as daily wage labourer. The names of other bystanders arrested that day are still not known, added Kanyag.
In another incident, five monks of Kirti Monastery studying in the logic class were arrested before being beaten as they were walking towards the boundary of the monastery’s summer retreat area on September 11. Four were released three days later but 22 year old Losang Sonam was held back. The reasons for their arrest is not known. Sonam is the eldest of four children born to Kalsang and Tsering Dolma from division no.2 of Kharsar village in the Rong area.
The same source added that it is difficult to acquire information from Ngaba which is under heavy surveillance and presence of armed security personnel. Communication lines including internet, a major medium of flow of information to the outside world, remain cut off except in government offices, according to the source.
