"On 'National Day' -Three Tibetan Writers Recently Arrested" By Woeser

This is a translation of a blogpost by Woeser that was posted on her blog on China's "National Day", October 1st and documents the recent arrests of three Tibetan writers.

Although the detentions are fairly recent, the essays and articles by the three writers have been in circulation in Tibetan since 2008. Quite a few of the writings have been translated into English and published by International Campaign for Tibet in their reports "A Great Mountain Burned by Fire" (2009) and "A Raging Storm" (2010), including two of the articles by Buddha and Garmi mentioned below.

Shar Dungri (Eastern Snow Mountain), a popular journal published by students of Northwest Minorities University, is "a platform that is able to represent the fearless and truthful voice" of many Tibetan scholars.

Issue 21 of the journal, published in 2008, contained news and reflections pertaining to the mass Tibetan uprising that started in March 2008 and spread across the entire Tibetan area.

Shar Dungri literally means conch shell snow-capped mountains of the east which has a figurative meaning as a call to enlightenment.

"On 'National Day' -Three Tibetan Writers Recently Arrested"By Woeser

Dhonkho (official name as contained in his ID: 容科 Rongke, Pen name: Nyen) was born in 1978 in the district of Khyungchu in Amdo's Ngaba area. He works at the office of historical affairs at Khyungchu district. He is a prominent Tibetan writer and a member of the Sichuan Writers’ Guild. He published poetry books such as "Lharson" (Revitalisation) and "Thablam "(Means) and so forth. He was the recipient of the of the 1st Snowland Vase Prize for Literature as well as the 1st Snowland Flower Prize for Literature. He also received an award of excellence for new literary composition among the Sichuan minorities. He and his friends established a Tibetan daycare centre in Khyungchu district. Many Tibetan families send their children there to learn Tibetan.

On June 21, 2010, at around 9am, he was arrested from his home on the alleged charge of “inciting activities to split the nation”. Currently he is detained at a detention center in the Ngaba area in the district of Bharkham where the Ngaba prefectural government is located. Up until now, his family members have not been able to see him. His current whereabouts and status is not clearly known. However it is clear that his arrest is related to his article titled "How Many Human Rights Do We Have" published in Shar Dungri in 2008.

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Buddha (Pen name: Buddha the Destitute) was born in 1979. He is from the Ngaba district of Amdo. He graduated with a Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree from Chongqing University and was working at the hospital in the town of Barma in the Ngaba district of Amdo until his arrest and imprisonment. He has published poems and stories in a journal called Panggyen Metok (Pasture Adorning Flowers). He also worked as an editor of a Tibetan journal entitled Duerab kyi Nga (Modern Self). On the evening of June 26, 2010, the Public Security Bureau of Ngaba district arrested him from the hospital where he works allegedly on the grounds of “inciting activities to split the nation”. The authorities confiscated all his personal writings and books. In his arrest warrant, it was mentioned that he would be detained at Barkham district where the government headquarters of the Ngaba area is located. But he was actually detained in the Chuchen district of Ngaba area. Until now, his family members have not been able to meet him. His current whereabouts and status is not clear.

However it is clear that his arrest is related to his article titled "Hindsight and Reflection", published in  Shar Dungri in 2008.

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Kelsang Jinpa, (Pen name: Garmi), was born in 1977 in the district of Sangchu in Amdo, Gansu province. He also studied at Kirti Monastery in Dharamsala, India. After his return to Tibet from India, he lived in Ngaba district. He has published poems and stories in a journal called Panggyen Metok (Pasture Adorning Flowers). He also worked as an editor of a Tibetan journal entitled Duerab kyi Nga (Modern Self). On July 19, 2010, at around 9am, he was arrested from his home by the Public Security Bureau of Ngaba prefecture on the charges of “inciting activities to split the nation”.

However it is clear that his arrest is related to his article titled "The Case for Lifeblood and Life-Force", published in Shar Dungri in 2008.