Chinese gov security increase at monastery may lead to starvation of monks

Kalsang Rinhen, via Phayul.com,

Dharamsala, April 12 – China has stepped up security in a Buddhist monastery in Tibet’s Ngaba region that has remained tense since a Tibetan monk set himself ablaze in protest on March 16 marking 3 years since bloody crackdown on Tibetan protesters in 2008, a Tibetan right group based here said.

According to the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, Chinese security forces have cordoned off Ngaba Kirti monastery and additional troops were called in over the weekend.

“Monks are not being allowed to move freely, gaps in the barbed wire towards north of the monastery have been filled up with concrete,” said the centre alleging that the restriction on the monastery has led to shortage of food supplies for the monks who have been largely dependent on voluntary offerings from local Tibetan civilian population for the last few days. Chinese authorities have warned Tibetan civilians against offering any food to the monastery.

The centre says the current tense situation could lead to mass starvation in the monastery and eventual protests by the monks. “That will give an excuse for the Chinese authorities to resort to extrajudicial killings as they did on March 16, 2008,” fears Tenzin Norgay of TCHRD.continued

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