Dharamshala November 2 – Three Tibetan monks were arrested recently by Chinese police for their alleged involvement in blast at a local power station in September, Radio free Asia reported. Tenzin Rinchen, 17, was arrested on October 24, and Ngawang Tenzin, 20, and Tenzin Norbu, 19, were arrested on October 30, RFA reported citing sources.
The blast at the power station knocked out television broadcasts but caused no casualties.
The explosion occurred in Markham County, Chamdo. According to the sources, local Tibetans were angered by television program in the Kham dialect in August and September that condemned Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama as a “splittist”.
The arrest of two Tibetans were confirmed by an official from the Chamdo Public Security Bureau who told the RFA on telephone Friday that Ngawang Tenzin and Tenzin Norbu “have been arrested and they are being investigated.”
An official on October 30 said on telephone in an interview with RFA,“Those culprits have been hiding out somewhere for a little over a month and 20 days. We caught one. There is no way to escape from us. If the other two culprits surrender on their own, China’s legal system might show leniency.”
“The tensions and restrictions on Markham are very intense. The Chamdo police chief is here, and they’re still holding meetings. There’s a huge presence by security forces here,” the source said.
On Oct. 26, Dechen Dorje, 49, the father of Ngawang Tenzin, was detained for interrogation and he is in detention, one source told RFA. Lobsang Tenzin, 26, Tenzin Norbu’s older brother, was also detained Oct. 19 but he refused to talk under questioning and was unable to move his hands or feet when he was released on Oct. 27, another source said.
The monks are believed to be of Markham county’s Oser monastery or one of its branches.
