Britain must condemn brutal crackdowns

13 March 2008

Hundreds of monks in Lhasa began staging widespread protests on Monday, March 10th, the 49th anniversary of the failed Tibetan uprising. Dozens of people have been detained in the largest protest in Tibet since 1989.

The protests began with monks from Drepung and Sera monasteries. At Sera, a group of monks shouted slogans for freedom in Lhasa's holy Jokhang Temple with lay people forming a protective circle around them. The Daily Telegraph quotes two foreigners who witnessed the police breaking up the protest and detaining the monks.

"Soon they called for backup. Undercover agents, not so difficult to recognise, film the whole happening. Especially the faces. This is one method to create fear. Suddenly there is panic. Six or seven monks are arrested and driven away. Tibetans are very scared because of the stories about the prisons and tortures. In the meanwhile big numbers of policemen arrive. They drive everybody apart."

Also on Monday, about 500 monks from Drepung set off to the Jokhang Temple. Between 50 and 60 Drepung monks were immediately detained at heavily guarded checkpoints.

On Tuesday, the second day of protests, about 600 monks from Sera monastery set off for the police station near the monastery demanding the release of the monks detained the day before. They were shouting slogans such as "Free our people" and "We want freedom".

Thousands of Public Security Bureau (PSB) personnel with firearms and electric batons dispersed the crowd and arrested dozens of monks.

Free Tibet Campaign has received reports of further protests in the eastern part of Tibet in Malho Prefecture, Quinghai Province (Tibetan region of Amdo), although no arrests have yet been reported.

The situation in and around Lhasa is very tense. There were unconfirmed accounts of gunshots coming from Drepung Monastery. According to Radio Free Asia private homes are being searched for hidden unregistered monks or nuns. Drepung and other monasteries have been surrounded by police and vehicles are blocking access to them.

Chinese authorities confirmed the protest with Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang referring to the protests as "an illegal activity that threatened social stability."

Those detained for political reasons routinely face torture in custody in Tibet. Free Tibet Campaign fears that in order to send a strong signal ahead of the games the Chinese authorities will curb down on the detainees ever more harshly.

In October 2007, Gordon Brown said of the violent crackdown of peaceful protest in Burma: "We will continue to ensure that the gaze of the whole world is on this repressive regime."

The British Government cannot remain silent on Tibet.

URGENT ACTION 1

1. Please contact the Prime Minister immediately (and send a copy to your MP) demanding that the British Government publicly condemns the brutal crackdown by Chinese authorities on peaceful protest in Tibet. The British Government should also call for the release of all the protesters detained in Tibet.

TAKE ACTION!

1. Please write to Prime Minister Gordon Brown immediately.

Rt Hon Gordon Brown MP
10 Downing Street
London SW1A 2AA
Fax: 020 7925 0918