Four Tibetan girls from Dartsedo were arrested on June 6th for suspicion of participating in the protests in Chengdu against the harsh covid restrictions. Their families were questioned, and their phones were examined.
[Posted on T.T Tibetan site 06 December 2022] A mass protest was recently held in Chengdu, Sichuan Province, against the repressive Chinese government rule. Four Tibetan girls from Khoryul Serlung village in Garze, Dartsedo were arrested in Chengdu city on 5th June over suspicion of participating in a mass protest in the Chenu area in Chengdu on 2nd June, where many people, including students, took part.
A reliable source told Tibet Times that when the girls’ family members went to the Dardo County police station to inquire about where they were being kept and what their charges were. The police asked who gave them the information and whether they had spread it around while examining their phones. The security in the Dardo area has been tightened, and people’s phones are being checked randomly, the source said.
The source further said that while everyone knows that Tibetans are not the only ones expressing their sentiments on social media, Chinese authorities in Chengdu and Garze target Tibetans by checking their phones and conducting random inspections, resulting in heightened surveillance and restriction among Tibetans. The authorities have also fined 500 Yuan, citing various minor offenses, and mandated that tomorrow, everyone should pay 5 Yuan for Covid tests.
The young girls who hail from Serlung village are identified as Zamkar, 26, Kelsang Dolma, 28, Dechen, and Delha. They completed their primary and secondary schooling in Dardo County and later worked in a hotel in the Chenu area in Chengdu. Following months of lockdown and restrictions, they lost their jobs and faced numerous difficulties. They were accused of taking part in the mass protests that took place in Chengdu.
