Published by: World Tibet Network News, Wednesday, Jun 19, 1996

The following letter was faxed to the office by a Japanese Nationality who recently visited Tibet. The writer requested the office to withhold the writer's name.

Tsteten Samdup

The Office of Tibet

London

June 16 1996

The Office of Tibet

1 Culworth Street

London

NW8 7AF

Dear Sir,

I was in Tibet for three weeks between the 23rd of May and 12th of June. The situation in Tibet, especially Lhasa and Shigatse is very tense.

A) At the beginning of May the Chinese Government ordered all the monasteries to remove the Dalai Lama's photos at the Ganden monastery. The monks of the monastery tried to prevent the police. Fighting broke out between the police and the monks. In the end police arrested more than 80 monks. The remaining monks managed to escape. Out of the arrested monks, two were publically executed on the 30th May. [The writer heard rumours about the execution but was not able to confirm this.] The other monks are imprisoned at the TSEL GUNBG THANG prison. On the 10th of June I learned from a prison guard that these monks are imprisoned under maximum security with no food at all. No visitors are allowed to see them. Some monks are in critical condition and if they are not fed immediately they might die within a week or two.

All the other monks are also starting to show signs of acute malnutrition. Up until the beginning of May, foreigners were free to visit Samye monastery, Chhongyei and Tswethang area. But when I was in Tibet, we were prohibited to go there without a permit. Permits can be obtained only through a travel agency. Along with the permit, you are forced to hire a guide and transportation. The cost is too expensive for many travellers. This effectively makes this region a restricted area without the Chinese Goivernment having to declare it one. The main reason behind this restriction is that the police does not want foreigners to meet Ganden monks who have managed to escape imprisonment. Most of the monks are believed to have escaped into this region and the police are still hunting for them.

B) The Chinese Government has installed their "Panchen Lama" in the Tashi Lhunpo monastery. They are forcing the Tibetans including the Gyalwa Karmapa of Tsurpu monastery to pay homage to their "Panchen Lama". Tibetans resent it and the Chinese Government is aware of it. They fear a mass revolt and to prevent it there is strict police and military surveillance everywhere.

I am not able to find the fax number of Amnesty International, London. Please send a copy to this to their office.