Press Release May 19, 1996

Tibet Support Group.UK: 071 359 7573 Phone - 071 354 1026 Fax

MAJOR ESCALATION OF VIOLENT REPRESSION IN TIBET.

EYE-WITNESS ACCOUNTS OF INJURED AND PROBABLE FATALITIES.

WORST SINCE MARTIAL LAW OF 1989.

CALLS FOR PROTEST FROM MICHAEL HESELTINE IN CHINA.

At the same time as Michael Heseltine leads a massive trade delegation to China with over 250 business people from the UK reports have been received of the worst escalation of violence in Tibet since the martial law of 1989.

The London based independent information service Tibet Information Network have spoken to an eye-witness who has just left the country. The Japanese tourist, Takeo Fujimoto, was with his with American girlfriend at the Lhasa People's No.1 Hospital at 11.30pm on Tuesday 14 May when he saw truckloads of wounded buddhist monks and nuns arrived:

"It was 11.30 at night and two big Chinese trucks came to the emergency unit at the hospital," said Takeo Fujimoto, a Japanese tourist who was looking after his American girlfriend in the hospital that night. "They took the people out of one truck, maybe around 40-50 people, more than half of them young nuns."

"Some people were walking, some people could not walk. They were holding each other, and some were crying or screaming," said Mr Fujimoto, speaking by phone from his hotel in Kathmandu, where he arrived by plane earlier today.

The Tibetans appeared to be seriously wounded, according to Mr Fujimoto, who watched them being taken into the emergency unit. "I am one hundred per cent sure that somebody beat up them up. It was not like a car accident. Their whole faces were sore and covered with blood, and some people could not move."

The second truck was not allowed to unload its wounded at the hospital and officials told the driver to go elsewhere, but Mr Fujimoto said there were signs of seriously injured people in the vehicle. "On the other truck I saw some legs hanging out from the back of the truck. They did not move," he said. "The truck left the courtyard, I don't know where they went."

There were a few older women amongst the wounded who were accepted at the hospital and also some lay men wearing traditional Tibetan lay clothes and with long braided hair, also badly wounded, but most were monks or nuns in red robes, according to the tourist.

30 of the wounded he saw were lay women or nuns, and about 15 were monks or laymen. "More than half were young nuns, all of them very, very young, maybe teenagers, and one was a young girl who had been beaten in the face. It was unbelievable", he said.

The wounded were escorted by about five men in uniform, probably policemen. "They did not do anything except to talk to the doctors. They were just watching them," he said, noting that they appeared to be officers.

There is no information about where the beatings had taken place, but they are believed to be part of resistance by Tibetans to the order to remove Dalai Lama photographs from shrines.

This incident follows a major incident at one of the biggest Tibetan monasteries, Ganden, on 7 May. Reports are of two monks being shot dead, and another shot and seriously wounded. Five other monks are seriously injured as a result of beatings.

The protests have been sparked by the decision of the Chinese authorities to remove pictures of the Dalai Lama from monasteries. The authorities have tolerated the display of pictures even though their sale has been prohibited for several years.

The escalation of repression has been marked since the crisis over the identification of the new Panchen Lama. In May 1995 the Dalai Lama's announced the discovery of the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama. The Chinese authorities immediately denounced the Dalai Lama and his candidate, who disappeared and has not been heard of since.

Timothy Nunn, General Secretary of the Tibet Support Group UK says:

"We have many concerns about this serious escalation of the repression in Tibet. Our immediate concern is for the safety of those who have seriously injured over the past few days. Past experience is of people with life threatening injury being scared to go hospitals because of fear of arrest.

The Deputy Prime Minister Michael Heseltine must raise this issue during his talks with Chinese leaders in Beijing. It would be unacceptable for him not to do so. He could make a great deal of difference whilst in China."

A spokesperson for Mr Heseltine has revealed that he has no plans for structured dialogue on human rights issues. Tibet Support Group UK have ensured reports of the incidents have been directly to Mr Heseltine. The Deputy Prime Minister has been urged, as a matter of urgency, to seek assurances from the Chinese government that:

- the injured will receive full medical treatment, without prejudice

- those arrested as result of their involvement in peaceful protest are immediately and unconditionally released

- the campaign for the removal of pictures of the Dalai Lama stop immediately

- the rights of the Tibetan people to religious expression and to peaceful protest and assembly be respected.

The full text of the letter is available from Tibet Support Group UK.

Contact: Timothy Nunn on +44 (0)171 359 7573 or 0378 90 11 98

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Text of letter to Michael Heseltine:

By facsimile to Beijing: 86 10 532 1937

19 May 1996

Dear Deputy Prime Minister

We are writing to you as a matter of urgency to bring to your attention reports of a major escalation of violent repression in Tibet. We implore you to use your good office and presence in China to convey our concerns to the Chinese government.

In the worst reports of violence since the martial law of 1989 the London based independent information service Tibet Information Network has released eye-witness accounts of injuries and probable fatalities in a major incident in the Lhasa area.

This is another instance in one of a series, and we are convinced that these abuses are continuing during your visit.

A Japanese tourist reported two truckloads of wounded monks and nuns being delivered to the Lhasa People's Hospital No. 1 at 11.30 pm on Tuesday 14 May. Around 30 women and 15 men were unloaded from the first truck and taken into the hospital for treatment. The second truck was not allowed to unload its wounded at the hospital, but it was reported that there were signs of seriously injured people in the vehicle, including possible fatalities.

This is the second reported major disturbance in recent days in the Lhasa area, as monks and nuns continue to resist attempts by the Chinese authorities to ban the displaying of photographs of the exiled Dalai Lama. This most recent account confirms the increasing brutality used by the Chinese in the history of religious repression in Tibet.

We ask you as a matter of urgency to seek assurances from the Chinese government that:

- the injured will receive full medical treatment, without prejudice

- those arrested as result of their involvement in peaceful protest are immediately and unconditionally released

- the campaign for the removal of pictures of the Dalai Lama stop immediately

- the rights of the Tibetan people to religious expression and to peaceful protest and assembly be respected.

We urge you to vigorously pursue these human rights abuses with China as a matter of extreme urgency. Your current visit to China has coincidentally given you a major opportunity to raise this pressing issue and secure assurances from the Chinese government for the end of this series of abuses.

Yours sincerely

Timothy Nunn

General Secretary