By Tenzin Dharpo
DHARAMSHALA, May 3: Two Tibetan monks from Palyul County in Sichuan Province have been released by Chinese authorities after ten days in detention on April 29. The local Chinese police detained the two monks who intervened and mediated a vehicular accident incident between a Han Chinese man and a local Tibetan.
According to a report by US government funded Radio Free Asia, two monks Lakyab and Tsering Gyurme were taken away by authorities when the two were mediating a scuffle between a local Tibetan man and an ethnic Han Chinese following a collision of their cars. Both the Tibetan monks are from the Palyul monastery in Palyul (Ch. Baiyu) county in the Kardze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture was severely beaten during their 10 day detention in Chinese prison.
“When police arrived on the scene, the monks became involved in an argument with them, and they were then detained and taken away. While in custody, both monks were severely beaten,” the RFA quoted the source on condition of anonymity.
The conditions of the two monks are not known as of now.
The same source further said that the Chinese authorities siding up with Han Chinese people in the area are not new. He said incidences in the past saw “the authorities have usually tended to blame the Tibetans. It is often said (in the Chinese constitution) that all nationalities, including the ethnic minority groups, will be treated equally and fairly, but really there is no fairness to be had.”
In April 2014, four local Tibetans from the County were arrested for refusing to sell their lands for mining purposes to private Chinese firms. Thupgah, Gadey, Kyamo and Jamyang, all from Barchung village in Tromthar Township, were arrested on April 21, 2014.
