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TIBET AT A TURNING POINT: THE SPRING UPRISING AND CHINA’S NEW CRACKDOWN
‘Those injured had no choice but to wait for death’
This account was given to the Tibetan language section of Radio Free Asia
on April 14 by an unnamed Tibetan caller (www.rfa.org).
“It is very difficult to give an exact number of people who were killed. One of the
main reasons is that many were killed in the area of the Jokhang, and many of these
had come from the Kham and Amdo regions to Lhasa for different reasons. Most of
them did not have residence permits. Therefore, because of a lack of documentation,
there is no way to verify who was killed. Over 100 Tibetans were killed. Many of my
friends saw Tibetans being killed.
“In the beginning, many injured Tibetan protestors were taken to Chinese hospitals,
where they were treated. Later, when injured Tibetans were taken to hospitals, they
were detained instead of receiving medical attention. In fact, on the second day of the
protests, even Tibetans who had bruises were treated as suspects and detained. So
Tibetans who were injured had no choice but to wait for death.
[ICT has received similar reports, indicating that some Tibetans may have died due to
lack of access to medical treatment. In some cases, individuals with medical knowledge
provided emergency first aid and tended to the wounded but it was generally
not regarded as safe to go to government-run hospitals.]
“Now, the situation for Tibetans in Lhasa is very tense. If a Tibetan argues over prices
with a Chinese grocery-shop owner, the shop owner calls the police and the Tibetan
is detained as a suspect. Any Tibetan without a residence permit is also detained. Even
elderly Tibetans who cannot walk straight and Tibetan schoolchildren are searched.
The Han Chinese don’t need residence permits. Their spoken Mandarin language is itself
their permit.”
Loss of life in Lhasa and the removal of monks from monasteries
This account from a Tibetan woman who was eyewitness to events in Lhasa in
March, and who spoke to others who witnessed events, was given to ICT on
her arrival in exile.
“I was in Lhasa earlier this year when protests broke out. I wanted to report what I saw
and heard when I was there as accurately as possible. This information was relayed to
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