Police Arrest Tibet Bound Tibetans in Spiti

Phayul[Tuesday, August 05, 2008]

Kalsang Rinchen

New York, August 4 - Two Tibetans were arrested yesterday from Bhuntar airport in Kullu District of Himachal Pradesh, India. Tenzin Tsundue and Lobsang were going to participate in a march to Tibet. The police had been tipped off about their arrival at the small Indian town yesterday and arrested the two immediately after their landing. However, the two were released earlier today. Both of them also took part in the march to Tibet which was earlier stopped by the Indian police at Dharchula, the last Indian village bordering Tibet in Uttranchal.

In another incident, around 60 people led by Shingtsa Rinpoche were taken into police custody at Kaza in Spiti Valley as they attempted to march to Tibet. It took police around four hours to arrest all the marchers as locals, mostly Buddhists, tried to stop and plead the police not to arrest the Tibetans. The locals while expressing their solidarity with the marchers tried to prevent the arrest of the Tibetans.

According to a source the arrested marchers have started a hunger strike without food and water in the local police station.

Shingza Tulku Lobsang Tenzin Choekyi Gyaltsen (”Shingza Rinpoche”) was born in Tsongon, Amdo (Qinghai) and is a prominent Lama at the Sera monastery in south India. He was one of the marchers who were earlier stopped at Dharchula.

Meanwhile in Delhi, heavy downpour and wind caused trouble to the six hunger strikers and their supporters as police and medical team stood by keeping a close watch. However, the police have not taken any hunger striker to hospital yet. In 1998, Thupten Ngodup of the Tibetan Youth Congress set himself ablaze when the Indian police forced Tibetan hunger strikers to hospital. On the same day. an important Chinese military officer was on a state visit to India.

This time around, people fear the Indian police might force the hunger strikers for medical care as the Olympics opening draws near.

Tenzin Dasel in Delhi contributed to this report