Reported by Pema Tso
Translated by TenGyal
According to verified information received by the Tibet Times, Samten Gyatso and Jamyang Samten, two monks from Chu Khama Monastery in Machu County, Tibet, were forcibly detained and arrested by Chinese police. Although more than a year has passed since their arrest, they remain in custody with no clear information regarding their current condition. Consequently, the monastery, their relatives, and close associates remain deeply distressed.
The source reported that one monk was arrested at Chu Khama monastery, while the other was detained after being summoned to retrieve a phone previously seized by authorities. The source added that even after a year, the exact dates of their arrests remain unknown, making it increasingly difficult to relay further details about the incident at this time.
While the official reasons for their arrest remain unclear, some suggest that authorities discovered images of the Tibetan National Flag while searching their phones. It has also emerged that prior to their arrest, both monks were frequently subjected to interrogations based on groundless accusations.
Since Ven. Samten Gyatso had previously used a photo of His Holiness the Dalai Lama as his WeChat background, Chinese police repeatedly searched his monastic quarters. During these raids, they confiscated various books, including one titled The Buddha Has Come to the Snow Land. Additionally, after writing an essay in tribute to His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s Nobel Peace prize day, Samten Gyatso was summoned to the police station and strictly interrogated, though he was released shortly thereafter on the occasion.
Similarly, Ven. Jamyang Samten established an online group to exchange notices and messages with the public and was arrested on the pretext of distributing a book without state authorization or an official ISBN; however, he was reportedly released later.
Tibet Times will continue to report on their situation as further news emerges.
