By Tenzin Monlam
DHARAMSHALA, June 3: Over 40 Tibetans including two village leaders have been arrested after a scuffle broke out between the local Tibetans and the Chinese police over the water rights in the Bayen Hui Autonomous County of Tsoshar prefecture in Qinghai Province on June 1.
The clash, which left many injured, started after the local residents confronted the authorities over their plans to divert ‘a waterway supplying their village to nearby Tharga village’, said a source of Radio Free Asia.
“The river flowing within the territory of Shitsa village was to be diverted towards Tharga village, which is inhabited by Muslims and this was resisted by the Tibetan villagers,” Dorjee Bum, a Tibetan living in exile was quoted by RFA.
According to the source, the armed police that arrived at the scene to subdue the tension sided with the Tharga village, which led to the scuffle that left 20 Tibetans and 10 policemen injured.
Bum also added that the detained Tibetans were taken away in connection with the injuries the policemen sustained during the clash and that no Muslims from the other village have been arrested over the crisis.
Tibetan village community called on the authorities to resolve the dispute fairly and also demanded the release of the two village leaders.
The police have resorted to tear gas to disperse the crowd.
