Tibet's government-in-exile wants China to account for the large number
of Tibetans missing following the March uprising. But the head of the
exile government tells VOA News there has been no communication with
the Chinese since their last round of unfruitful dialog in July. VOA
correspondent Steve Herman reports from Dharamsala in northern India,
the headquarters of Central Tibetan Administration.
The prime
minister of Tibet's government in exile wants Chinese authorities to
give an accounting of the fate of Tibetans missing since the crackdown
against those participating in anti-China demonstrations, which began
in March.
In a VOA interview, Samdhong Rinpoche, who is the
Kalon Tripa or prime minister of the Central Tibetan Administration,
says it remains unclear how many Tibetans have been killed, injured or
detained by Chinese authorities since the March uprising.
"A
large number of Tibetans are still missing," he said. "A large number
of monks and nuns who were taken away from Lhasa are still imprisoned
in various untold places. We are hearing the unconfirmed news now they
are beginning to release [them] but not allowing [them] to go back to
the Lhasa monasteries."
The International Commission of
Jurists has asked China to inform the United Nations Human Rights
Council about the March uprising in Tibet and surrounding areas. The
Commission says China's violent crackdown, included arbitrary
executions, the use of excessive non-lethal force by the security
forces and arbitrary detentions.
China has repeatedly accused
the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, of fomenting riots and
anti-China protests to disrupt this year's Beijing Olympic Games.
Tibetan
authorities have feared an even-larger crackdown by the Chinese
following the conclusion of last month's games. But the Kalon Tripa
says there is no evidence of that yet.
"It is too early to say
that now there is no danger," he said. "We shall have to wait and see.
And particularly after the next round of dialog hopefully the things
will be more clear."
Rinpoche is referring to the eighth round
of dialog between his exile government and the Chinese government. It
had been scheduled for October, but Rinpoche says it is questionable
whether the talks will be held.
"After July contact there has
not been any interaction with them, directly or indirectly," he said.
"No dates have been confirmed."
Tibetan leaders say the Chinese
made unacceptable demands on the Dalai Lama at the last round of talks.
They say if the October dialog yields no progress, the Tibetans will
likely not continue the discussions, which began six years ago.
Dharamsala,
in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh, has been the Dalai Lama's home
since he fled Tibet in 1959 after China sent in troops there to
suppress a revolt against its rule.
