Tibetan rights group demands China to reveal location of detained monks

The Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) has urgently called on Chinese authorities to disclose the whereabouts of four Tibetans being held in secret detention centers in Ngaba Tibetans in Sichuan Province and Ngaba (Aba), Qiang Autonomous Prefecture.

In early September, Chinese authorities arbitrarily detained four individuals, including two monks from Kirti Monastery, Lobsang Samten and Lobsang Trinley, as well as Tsering Tashi and Wangqi. Since his/her arrest, no information has been provided regarding his/her location or the specific charges against him/her.

Lobsang Samten, 53, has been a monk at Kirti Monastery since childhood and is currently a student of the Karmapa (Geshe) class. As a junior chant master at the monastery’s prayer college, he/she is known for his/her commitment to monastic studies before he/she was detained along with 300 other monks in 2011. Lobsang Trinley, also known as Drenpo, is a 40-year-old monk from Rongkhangsar City and plays an important role in conducting ritual ceremonies at Kirti Monastery.

Wangki, 43, and Tsering Tashi, 41, are brother and sister from the Haritsang family in Rongkharsar. Wangqi is married and has four daughters. Reports suggest that members of the Haritsang family may have been arrested for maintaining contacts in India, although details are unclear.

According to a source who spoke to TCHRD, “There have been reports of members of the Haritsang family being arrested for maintaining contacts in India, although specific details remain unclear. In recent months, repression has intensified in the Ngaba region, with restrictions particularly imposed on Kirti Monastery and surrounding villages.

Arbitrary detention and secret executions of Tibetans have become worryingly frequent. Local Tibetans are being intimidated into silence, making it difficult for information to come out. “Even those who are released from custody are prohibited from disclosing the charges against them or where they were held, further obscuring the truth in the community.” ‘

The incident comes after China closed two major Buddhist monastery schools in July, forcing about 1,600 novice monks to enroll in government-run boarding schools. The move is part of a broader campaign aimed at assimilating Tibetan cultural and religious identity and promoting assimilation into the dominant Han Chinese culture.

TCHRD calls on the Chinese authorities to immediately end these arbitrary detentions and to provide accurate information on the status and whereabouts of the four detained Tibetans. The organization urges the international community to raise awareness of the situation and advocate for the rights of the Tibetan people.