Dharamsala: China arrested two Tibetan brothers from Karze who were actively involved in last year’s 18 March protest against Chinese oppression in Kardze County (Ch: Ganzi/Garze), which consisted of hundreds of Tibetans and left at least three people dead. Tenpa, age 30, and his younger brother Jamdo, age 25, are farmers from Rapa Village, Zakhog Township, Karze County, Karze TAP, Sichuan Province. They had been on the run for more than a year prior to their arrest in Jekundo at the beginning of this month, according to information received by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD).Tenpa and Jamdo managed to avoid arrest following the massive protest marred by a large number of arbitrary detentions of demonstrators in the Karze region. They had been hiding in the nearby hills and migrating from one place to another over the past year in order to avoid capture by Chinese authorities. Recently it has been revealed that they were arrested by the Security forces at the beginning of May 2009 in Jekundo (Ch: Yushu/Jiegu), Jekundo TAP , Qinghai Province, according to information received by the Centre. Sources cannot confirm the duo’s current location or condition. TCHRD openly condemns the arbitrary arrest of Tenpa and Jamdo and calls for their immediate release.
In the past week, several former Tibetan protesters involved in last year’s protests in Tibet have escaped and arrived in India; including two Tibetans from Karze who were demonstrated alongside Tenpa and Jamdo at the 18 March protest in Karze.
According to the official report publicized in the Garze Daily on May 19, 2009, the Karze Peoples Procuratorate announced that 73 Tibetans have been arrested on the charge of jeopardizing state security, attempting to divide the country, and espionage, 34 of which have appealed for a fair trial in the court. Similarly, on May 15, 2009, the Garze Daily quoted the Karze Intermediate Peoples Court as stating that 28 Tibetans had been sentenced and another 19 Tibetans had been interrogated in accordance with law in Karze concerning cases involving threats to Chinese national security. However, according to data obtained by the Centre, around 98 Tibetans are known to have been sentenced to serve varying prison terms for partaking in protests since March 2008.
