Tibetans Detained and Interrogated for Burning Incense
The detentions in eastern Tibet led to the arrest of Thubten Phuntsok
Free Tibet has learned that four Tibetans were detained and interrogated by local police in Dzato County last month for burning incense and praying on a mountain.
Four Tibetans took part in the ritual on 11 March, in which they climbed a mountain to carry out incense burning and prayers.
Three days later, police came to their homes in Atod Township, detained the four and interrogated them. One of those detained, Thubten Phuntsok, was subsequently arrested, while the other three appear to have been released.
In addition to detaining the four Tibetans, the police confiscated their identity cards and checked their phones to see whether their WeChat accounts were registered. The parents and relatives of the four Tibetans were given a warning and told that they will be held responsible if the same thing happens again.
Dzato County is currently governed as part of Qinghai Province. As with other areas of Tibet, Tibetan people live under heavy surveillance and authorities have offered incentives to Tibetans to spy on others and collect information, including large sums of money. Local authorities have stated that such spying is a patriotic act.
Information supplied by Tibet Watch
