More Protests inside Tibet

Tibet: Guns shots fired as thousands of Tibetans hold fresh protest in Amdo Labrang

Phayul[Friday, March 14, 2008 18:17]

Thousands of Tibetans led by Labrang Monastery monks held demonstrations carrying Tibetan national flag and called for Tibet’s independence on Friday after noon. (Phayul.com)
Thousands of Tibetans led by Labrang Monastery monks held demonstrations carrying Tibetan national flag and called for Tibet’s independence on Friday after noon. (Phayul.com)

Labrang (Amdo), March 14: In yet another fresh protest incident in Tibet, thousands of Tibetan monks and laypeople staged demonstration in the streets of Sangchu County, Kanlho "Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture" ("TAP"), Gansu Province, accoriding to a reliable source.

Phayul.com has obtained set of pictures taken through mobile phone that show the intensity of the demonstration in Labrang.

Around 50 monks from the Labrang Tashikyil Monastery began staging demonstration carrying the banned Tibetan national flag and shouting “Tibet Independence” slogans around 2:00pm today.

Some 600 more monks from the same monastery later joined the demonstration.

The number later swelled up to few thousands when general public continued to join the procession of monks and the protest became more intensive.

The source said police started to fire live ammunitions in the air and started to beat the demonstrators when the procession reached the Sangchu County Public Security Bureau headquarter.

“Public security and armed police began firing shots later as it (protest) became very
intensive. Whether it caused casualties is unclear,” the source said.

“Gradually the number increased and thousands of Tibetans gathered around in the main market. At the police station they shouted more loudly out of control, then the Chinese police started shooting among the protesters, as a result the mass scattered rapidly due to gunfire,” the source said.

The situation in Amdo is said to be extremely tense as unrest continues across Tibet. The public demonstration in Labrang has not entirely ceased at the time of filing this report.



Tension intensifies in Lhasa

TCHRD[Friday, March 14, 2008 15:42]
Lhasa reels under extremely tense situation at the moment. The situation intensified since this morning. There is smoke every where from burning shops and vehicles. Roads leading in and out of some of the busiest streets in Lhasa have been sealed off. Despite a huge presence of Chinese armed troops, the protesters continue to stage demonstration.

According to confirmed information received by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD), around a hundred monks from the Ramoche Temple (north of Lhasa), while on their way to the streets around 10 am this morning to stage a peaceful protest, were blocked by Chinese armed police which led to minor scuffles between the two. The monks carried forward their peaceful demonstration which eventually grew bigger with bystanders joining them. Sources confirm vehicles and shops getting burned down in the commotion.

The police have cordoned off all roads leading in and out of Lhasa with armed paramilitary forces patrolling the streets. Sources confirm gunshots being fired to disperse the protesting crowd. No deaths could be confirmed at the moment. TCHRD will continue to closely monitor the situation and issue updates as the situation progresses.

At the time of release of this update, reports are coming in of a parallel demonstration by monks of Labrang Tashikhil Monastery and the area Tibetans in Sangchu County, Kanlho "Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture" ("TAP") Gansu Province.

Contact person: Tenzin Norgay (English) / Jampa Monlam (Chinese and Tibetan)
Tel: +91 1892 223363 / 225874 / 229225
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