Dharamshala: Tagyal, pseudonym Shog-dung, a well-known Tibetan writer and the editor of the Qinghai People's Publishing House, was arrested recently by Chinese Security Bureau Officials in Siling (Chinese; Xining, the provincial capital of so-called Qinghai). News of the arrest was reported yesterday by one of Tagyal's friends, the writer Nyi-Shun, in Sangdor, a Tibet-based online literary forum which was censored shortly after publishing.
According to Nyi Shun, on the 23rd April 2010at 4:30 pm, five to six Silang security guards stormed into Tagyal's office and took him to his home where, after rummaging through his study room and scanning his video collection, arrested him. And later, at around 10 pm, the security force returned to the house to confiscate his two computers and his printer.
"At around 3 am on the same day, the security men come to my house again to give me the arrest warrant and took his bedding," Nyi Shon wrote, citing the account of Lha-Tso, Shog Dung's wife.
Lha Tso continued that, "The following day, my daughter Yeshe Tso and I went to the detention center in Silang several times, but the Chinese authorities did not allow us to see him."
On the third day, when a devastating earthquake hit Kyigudo and resulted in the deaths of thousands of people as well as in numerous casualties, Chinese authorities refused to permit Shog Tong as well as others to visit the devastated area. Nevertheless, he began providing aid, relief and transportation to patients in Siling.
At present, family and friends of Shog Dong are anxious regarding his arrest, as his current whereabouts are unknown.
By reason of the recent release of Shog Dung's book titled Division of Sky and Earth, a detailed account of the 2008 peaceful protest, referred to as ‘the earth-mouse-year revolution,' Chinese authorities forcibly shut down his privately-owned ‘1+1 Book Store' on the 13th of April 2010; the business was the sole lifeline of Lha-Tso and his family.
