Tibetans Protest after TTibetan Flag & Dalai Lama’s Portrait Are Torn Down on Chinese National Day

By Contact Staff / October 1, 2011;

Protests took place Saturday, October 1st, in Kardze in eastern Tibet after a large portrait of the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan flag were torn down from the three-story building on which they were publicly displayed. The identities of those who put up the flag and the photo remain unclear. Significantly, the date marks the 62nd anniversary of Chinese National Day – the day on which the Communist Party took control of China in 1949.
Radio Free Asia reported that the protests arose at about 12:30 pm local time, after the photo and the flag were torn down and thrown into the street. The group, initially made up of laymen, gathered, shouting slogans and reportedly calling for the return of the Dalai Lama to Tibet. Around 30 police personnel arrived to make arrests, but were forced to withdraw as the crowd, joined now by monks and laypeople alike, swelled beyond their capacity to control. The final number of protesters is unknown, with Radio Free Asia reporting numbers in the “dozens” and Tibet.net putting the final count at around 200.
According to Beijing-based Tibetan writer and activist, Woeser, leaflets were then distributed on Sunday which urged Tibetans to “fight for your religion, language, and customs.” Woeser posted an image of the leaflet, dated August 25th, on her blog. It states, “We do not enjoy the freedoms enjoyed by human beings. We want freedom of belief. We want freedom of speech, freedom to use our language. We want freedom of movement. We want the freedoms that are enjoyed by others.”
The protests come at a tense time for Tibetans. Just last month, two monks from Kirti Monastery in Ngaba County set themselves on fire to protest China’s tight control over Buddhist practices in Tibet. Their location and condition are currently unknown. Both monks are reportedly about 18 years old.
Sourceses: Radio Free Asia and Payul.com