By Tenzin Dharpo
DHARAMSHALA, September 14: The banned Tibetan flag was found hung on a metal structure in Dida town, Pema County in Golok on September 6 and remained there until next day, according to a report by Radio Free Asia.
The Tibetan flag, which is a representation of defiance and ‘symbol of Tibetan nationhood’, is an outlawed object. Tibetans found to be in possession of it are deemed factional and subject to arrest and lengthy sentencing by the Chinese authorities.
“The display of the Tibetan flag coincided with China’s official celebration of the 60th anniversary of the founding of Pema county, Tibetan residents of the area have endured great sufferings during the last 60 years, especially during China’s Cultural Revolution [1966-1976], and Tibetans in Golog generally have suffered a lot under Chinese rule,” a Tibetan source told RFA.
The 60th anniversary of the Pema County was carried out without much participation or celebration by local Tibetans, say sources.
Another source said, “So far, no one has been apprehended or detained.”
Pema County in Golog has seen a few self immolations by Tibetans in the past and a hot bed of confrontations between Tibetans and Chinese authorities with the Tibetans often on the receiving end of brutal crackdowns and restrictive measures.
On 3 December,2012 a 29 year old monk Lobsang Gendun from Penag Kadak Troedreling Monastery, Seley Thang region of Golog Pema Dzong self immolated in protest against Chinese rule. A year later, another monk Tsering Gyal aged just 20 from Akyong monastery, Pema County, Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, self immolated and died on 11 November 2013.
Tibetan exiles say that the self immolation toll, now on a staggering 143, is an irrefutable indication of failed policies and brutal governance by Chinese government.
