Three Tibetan writers identified as Jangtse Donkho, Buddha and Kalsang Jinpa were tried (Oct.28) by the Aba Intermediate People’s Court in Sichuan province on charges of inciting activities to split the nation. All three were detained earlier in July, 2010 by Chinese authorities on charges of writing articles in a local newsletter Shar Dungri (Eastern Snow Mountain) about the 2008 unrest.
All three, along with their lawyers and some family members, were present in the court during the trial which lasted half a day. They denied the charges and pleaded not guilty. No verdict was announced following the closed door trial.
Around 700 Tibetan monks and nuns, mostly from Sershul Monastery in Sichuan province, organized (Nov. eight) a protest demonstration demanding equality and freedom of language. The protestors were stopped by security forces. The protest was first started by around 50 monks and nuns on Oct 7 in the area.
The protest was sparked off by the recent proposal of the Qinghai administration to replace Tibetan with Chinese language as a medium of instruction in schools. This proposal had led to protest in various parts of Qinghai and Gansu province and also in Beijing.
The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD), in its press release (Nov Five) condemned imposition of Chinese as the medium of education by sidelining Tibetan language in the schools in Qinghai province.
It appealed to the Chinese leaders to respect the PRC Constitution which recognized the right of ‘minorities’ to preserve respective language, culture and identity.
TCHRD also urged Beijing to direct officials in the areas concerned so that peace could be restored and also that the people in Tibet could continue to preserve their language and culture without fear.
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