DHARAMSHALA, AUGUST 15: The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy has condemned the Chinese police firing on unarmed Tibetan protesters in Denma in Sershul County that left at least ten people with fatal injuries.
The Tibetans were protesting the detention of Wangdak, 45, a widely respected village leader, the night before.
The Tibetan rights group based here also demanded immediate release of Wangdak, who was taken away around midnight last Tuesday from his home in Denma Shugpa Village in Loshu (Ch: Luoxu) Township in Sershul (Ch: Shiqu) County, Kardze TAP.
Wangdak had advocated for Tibetans to be allowed to observe the Denma Horse Festival, said the TCHRD. Citing sources, TCHRD said Wangdak argued with the authorities against banning the observance of a horse festival. Wangdak is also the chairman of the Denma Horse Festival Committee.
“In the past, the Chinese promoted the horse festival as a secular tradition but recently they have clamped down on it, viewing any manifestation of Tibetan culture as a threat to stability,” said TCHRD. Wangdak also earned the authorities wrath by supporting a group of women performers from a troupe who were allegedly harassed by Chinese officials.
TCHRD also said its sources also reported the arrest of an unspecified number of Tibetans on the evening of 12 August as more additional forces were called in from neighboring areas, forcing several Tibetans to flee into the mountains. The source told TCHRD that the situation in Denma Shugpa Village has become urgent and could aggravate.
“This latest shooting demonstrates the contradictions within the Chinese policy of promoting stability,” said Tsering Tsomo, the executive director of the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy. “Instead of promoting stability, the Chinese are concerned with crushing all dissent — even if that causes more instability. If they were truly interested in promoting stability, they would listen to Tibetans like Wangdak and work with the local community to address their grievances.”
