09 January 2007
Tibetan detained for saving sheep from butchers
Chinese authorities in the western Tibetan county of Dingri have detained a prominent local figure after he saved large numbers of sheep and goats from being slaughtered, Radio Free Asia (RFA) sources in the region said. The reason for the arrest of Pempa, who is known by a single name, was not immediately clear. According to the source, "Local Tibetans are presuming that the Chinese authorities suspected his action to save sheep and goats from the slaughter was meant as an action to ensure the long life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama". It is alleged that police searched Pempa’s house and found two audio CDs of the Kalachakra teachings of the Dalai Lama in India in 2005. "They also took away all the sheep and goats that Pempa saved from the butchers, or that were donated by those Tibetans in Nepal and border areas who were sick and old, in order to acquire merit", he added. A second source in the area confirmed Pempa’s detention. "He is certainly detained in Shigatse though no decision was made about his sentence or punishment", the source said. "I also heard that he was detained for saving sheep from slaughter."