WASHINGTON, April 30, 2003--Authorities in the China's Gansu Province thismonth arrested two Tibetan monks, apparently for political reasons, RadioFree Asia (RFA) reported Wednesday. One of the monks remains in custody.
Local Chinese security officials detained Jigme Jamdrup, 37, and KunchokJamyang, 40, on April 11, according to Tibetan sources who spoke to RFA'sTibetan service between April 26-29. Both men belong to the LabrangTashikyel monastery in Kanlho Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, the sourcessaid. Kanlho Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture forms part of what wastraditionally known as the Amdo region of Tibet, now under theadministration of Gansu Province in northwestern China.
Both Jigme Jamdrup and Kunchok Jamyang �have a history of arrest,� oneperson told RFA�s Tibetan service. �Jigme Jamdrup was arrested on May 2, 1996 for allegedly spreading propaganda against the Chinese government--he was sentenced to two years in prison and one year without his political rights. Kunchok Jamyang was also arrested in May 1995 for political reasons and detained for three months.�
Jigme Jamdrup was released on bail April 23, sources said. �He was tooscared to say anything about the arrest including his place of detention,�one person said. Officials later searched the residences of both men, andthey reportedly found some documents in Kunchok Jamyang's home.
When the men's relatives inquired about them after their arrest, "the localsecurity officials had no definite answer, but they said the men couldpossibly be charged with separatist activites and undermining unity,"another source said.
KunchokJamyang remains in custody.
According to the State Department's most recent report on human rightsworldwide, issued in March this year, the Chinese government's human rightsrecord in Tibet remained poor, despite some positive developments.
Authorities there "continued to commit serious human rights abuses,including instances of torture, arbitrary arrest, detention without public trial, and lengthy detention of Tibetan nationalists for peacefullyexpressing their political or religious views" in 2002, the report said.
"The overall level of repression of religious freedom in Tibet, whilesomewhat less oppressive for lay followers than in previous years, remainedhigh."
"Individuals accused of political activism faced ongoing harassment duringthe year. There were reports of imprisonment and abuse of nuns and monksaccused of political activism."
RFA broadcasts news and information to Asian listeners who lack regularaccess to full and balanced reporting in their domestic media. Through itsbroadcasts and call-in programs, RFA aims to fill a critical gap in thelives of people across Asia. Created by Congress in 1994 and incorporated in1996, RFA currently broadcasts in Burmese, Cantonese, Khmer, Korean, Lao,Mandarin, the Wu dialect, Vietnamese, Tibetan (Uke, Amdo, and Kham), andUyghur. It adheres to the highest standards of journalism and aims toexemplify accuracy, balance, and fairness in its editorial content.#####