Reports: New Arrests in Tibetan Areas of Western China
New protests, and arrests, are being reported in Tibetan areas of Qinghai, according to AP:
More than 100 ethnic Tibetans, including Buddhist monks and lay people, were detained after Thursday’s protest in Tongren county, Qinghai province, the Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy reported.
Anti-government protests have sprung up throughout Tibetan areas of western China after demonstrations in Lhasa turned violent on March 14. Hundreds of shops were torched and Chinese civilians attacked. China says 22 people died in the riots, though the Tibetan government-in-exile says more than 140 people were killed in the protests and the ensuing crackdown.
Monks on Thursday called for the release of fellow Buddhist clergy. They were joined by area residents at a local market, according to the center, which is based in the seat of the Tibetan government-in-exile in the Indian town of Dharmsala.
The center said police who were rushed to the scene began beating participants, despite efforts at mediation by a senior monk.
In an updated story, AP interviewed local residents about the protests:
Receptionists reached by phone at Tongren hotels confirmed the protest, saying the crowd had gathered near the county offices.
“Today there’s no more protests. Those people were all seized,” one receptionist said.
A woman at another hotel put the number of protesters in the dozens and said the Rongwo monastery had been closed to visitors. Police and paramilitary officers were checking identification cards and residency permits and imposed a curfew, she said.
Origin: Christopher Bodeen, AP
