For immediate release

September 1,1995

Contact: John Ackerly Bhuchung Tsering

202-785-1515

From: World Tibet Network News, Saturday, September 2, 1995

Monks Refuse to Attend Tibet Anniversary "Celebrations"

Sept. 1- Many monks in Lhasa refused orders to attend ceremonies held today for the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Tibet Autonomous Region, according to sources in the Tibetan capitol.

Hundreds of senior officials from China are in Lhasa to attend the ceremonies which are being held amidst heavy military and police security. According to sources in Lhasa, the monks who refused to attend, most of whom are younger monks, may be subject to reprisals. Some older monks decided to attend in an attempt to deflect punishment against the younger ones.

The order applies to monks from Lhasa's three large monasteries - Sera, Ganden and Drepung. 20 monks from Ganden monastery and 40 monks from Sera Monastery reportedly decided to attend, but as of yesterday, reports indicated that all of the monks from Drepung monastery were boycotting the ceremonies. Employees of the Norbulingka, the former summer palace of the Dalai Lama which is now a park and tourist destination, were threatened with losing their jobs if they did not attend the celebrations.

A similar scenario in 1989 when monks were forced to attend a religious festival which authorities wanted to show to visiting dignitaries from China erupted into a major demonstration, and led to the imposition of martial law.

The 30th anniversary celebrations have been met with a large degree of skepticism abroad, which may be best summarized in an editorial by the Far Eastern Economic Review, Asia's leading weekly: "... for Tibetans the day will only underscore an alien rule that continues to suppress their religion, forcibly abort their pregnant women and feed a Han Chinese immigration that threatens to make Tibetans a minority in their own homeland."

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The International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) was established in 1988 to monitor and promote internationally recognized human rights and democratic freedoms in Tibet. ICT is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization incorporated in Washington, DC.

The International Campaign for Tibet

1735 Eye St. N.W, Suite 615

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Non-profit, Tibet advocacy group

E-mail: ict@peacenet.org

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Phone: +1 (202) 785-1515

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