06 March 2008
Monks given 08 March deadline to return to monastery
(RFA) Chinese authorities in the TAR have given protesting monks until 08 March to return to Jesho Baikar monastery or face "serious consequences", Tibetan sources told Radio Free Asia (RFA). The monks left to protest against ‘patriotic education’ campaigns launched after clashes between Tibetan nomads and police in the area on 20 November 2008. Other sources in the area, including former monastery employees, said most of the estimated 180 monks left the monastery in protest in early December. The monastery has remained mostly deserted since then, they said. Many monks have since joined Sera and Drepung monasteries in Lhasa. "Chinese work teams tried to conduct a patriotic campaign in Baikar monastery, but the monks were uncooperative and many refused to comply—they started abandoning the monastery. About 50 armed police were stationed at the monastery, along with a contingent of work-team members, to enforce the campaign". The source said that twenty-two Tibetans - 10 monks and 12 laypeople - remain in detention following the 20 November clash, which happened following an altercation between three monks and a shopkeeper.