DHARAMSHALA, APRIL 24: Chinese authorities in Tibet’s Kyegudo area in the traditional Tibetan province of Kham have destroyed several brick factories owned by Tibetans and beaten up workers on the behest of Chinese brick factory owners on April 20, the Voice of Tibet radio reported.
A Tibetan from Kyegudo now living in exile said the Chinese authorities were paid bribe amount up to 60000 Chinese Yuan by Chinese brick factory owners to apprehend the Tibetans in Gapey village (spelled as pronounced).
“Armed with bulldozers and police force, the Chinese authorities arrived at the site of the brick factories owned by Tibetans and destroyed the factories and make shift houses built for the workers,” the source said.
Several workers were beaten up “severely” and their cell phones broken as some of them tried to take pictures of the debris, according to the source. The Chinese officials told the Tibetans that their factories were “illegal.”
Meanwhile, in another area called Karda (spelled as pronounced) in Kyegudo, Chinese authorities destroyed a cooperative shop started by the local Tibetans, saying it was opened against the law, the same source said.
The incident took place in March around the Tibetan New Year as the local residents were participating in festivities and prayers for the cooperative shop. Several Tibetans were beaten up as they went to collect merchandises from the rubble of the destroyed shop, said the source.
At least 3000 people (official statistics) died and thousands others became homeless after a massive earthquake hit Kyegudo in April 2010.
