Dharamshala — A Tibetan youth believed to be in his early 20s' was arbitrarily arrested in Serta County, eastern Tibet following a lone protest against Chinese government repressive rule in Tibet.
Sonam Tashi, a Tibetan man aged in his 20s, called for the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet and freedom in Tibet while protesting Serta County of eastern Tibet, on January 5, 2017,' a Tibetan living in Europe with close contacts in the region told the Tibet Post International (TPI).
Tashi shouted slogans calling for "Long life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama" and "Freedom in Tibet". Chinese police arrived at the spot and arbitrarily arrested him," Ven Jigmey told the TPI, on Wednesday.
"Frustrated for over a month in their attempts to learn Tashi’s whereabouts, present condition, and especially his health, but in vain," he said, adding: "Due to the severe restrictions placed in the area, further details about the incident could not be gathered at this moment."
'Tibetans face increasing restrictions on religion and movement, social control and surveillance at the grassroots level,' said the sources. "Ahead of the anniversaries, such as Tibetan new year and 10th March Uprising Day, China recently has increased the deployment of military forces in the County and surrounding areas."
Arbitrary arrests and detention have increased amid unusual intensification of state surveillance measures in the region. Reports claim Beijing is isolating Tibet from the world and Tibetans face lengthy jail sentences and torture for sharing information about any protests, including the self-immolations.
Hundreds of Tibetans, including writers, bloggers, singers and environmentalists, have been arbitrarily detained or are imprisoned since 2008, after attempting to express their views or share news of the situation in Tibet with the outside world, and provides further evidence of a widespread crackdown against free expression in Tibet.
Sporadic demonstrations challenging Chinese repressive rule have continued in Tibet since widespread protests swept the region in 2008, with a verified total of 144 Tibetans have self-immolated in protests against Beijing's rule since 2009, calling for "freedom in Tibet" and "return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet."
Tibet was invaded by Communist China, starting in 1949, Beijing calls a "peaceful liberation". Since that time, over 1.2 million out of 6 Tibetans have been killed, over 6000 monasteries have been destroyed— the acts of murder, rape and arbitrary imprisonment, torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment were inflicted on the Tibetans inside Tibet. But, authorities in Beijing still claim that "China 'peacefully liberated' Tibet, and that the Tibetans are living in a "Maoist socialist paradise."
