London, November 30. According Tibet Information Network, "Three accounts from Sog county state that Chinese traders were involved in collecting blood from local people and from domestic animals, with a view to selling the blood, presumably in mainland China. The report from Dri and Do districts, claiming to be from 'a local person who has witnessed the developments personally', includes a bizarre account of 'Chinese gangs' allegedly extracting blood by force. 'Since June 1992, these wandering gangs of Chinese have started ambushing unwary Tibetans to extract blood on the spot. In our three districts alone, there are over 100 people who had their blood extracted by such gangs. Many of them, herders, travellers, wood collectors, messengers, lone travellers whether male, female or child, are now emaciated and near to death', the Tibetan told TIN. 'Their mode of operation is either to hit the victim with a chemically treated dart (used to kill birds) or pounce together onto the victim and prick with a needle wh

ich renders the victim unconscious instantly. While the victim is ying unconscious they extract blood and disappear', claimed the Tibetan, who asked not to be named. These allegations were not at first believed in the West because all previous accounts of forced blood extraction from Tibetans have referred only to officials who forced prisoners in Lhasa jails to give blood. There were no previous accounts of forced blood extraction outside prisons and these reports remain unconfirmed. Other escapees from the region speak of Chinese traders paying locals to give blood, and of blood being taken from domestic animals and cattle. A nun from the neighbouring county of Biru who arrived in India in March 1994 said Chinese settlers were 'draining blood from our horses'. The Tibetans did not explain how the Chinese could have preserved the blood or transported it to a point of sale". (EuroTibet News N·6)