08 November 2005
TCHRD: Monk dies under “mysterious circumstances”
TCHRD reports that a monk at the Drepung monastery in Lhasa has died in mysterious circumstances while a ‘Patriotic Education’ campaign was being held in the monastery. Ngawang Jangchub, a.k.a. Aku Ril Ril from Lhakhang Village, Phodo Township, Phenpo Lhundrup County, Lhasa Municipality aged 28 years, died in the first week of October 2005 allegedly after he had been engaged in a heated argument with "work team" officials. As stipulated by the guidelines of the campaign, the monks in the monastery were required to condemn the Dalai Lama as a "splittist" and to pledge their loyalty to the Chinese government. Ngawang is said to have refused to condemn the Dalai Lama and have challenged the Chinese authorities’ claim over Tibet. In response, the officials verbally abused him and threatened. Following the confrontation, Ngawang returned to his quarters but failed to return for the next day’s session. When monks went to check on him, they found him dead in his room. The exact cause of his death is unknown although the monks have speculated that he committed suicide as a result of extreme psychological trauma.