Activists: China Persecuting Buddhist Monks in Tibet

April 30, 2008

Author: TINI TRAN

Source: AP

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5h5Z6bJwtN_roGSIUQiQnfbf2NkhgD90CA5E05

China has stepped up persecution of Buddhist monks with mass detentions, Tibet activists said Wednesday, as China prepares to take the Olympic torch to the top of Mount Everest.

The actions came a day after six monks were given lengthy prison sentences in the first trial of rioters since deadly violence in Tibet's capital last month.

The International Campaign for Tibet said groups of Buddhist monks have been detained from several Lhasa monasteries, which have been sealed off by armed troops.

The Washington, D.C.-based group cited sources who reported that authorities removed at least six monks from the Nechung monastery, eight from Nalanda monastery and rounded up at least 60 people, including monks from Pangsa monastery, after a protest near Lhasa.

The group also quoted a source saying up to 100 monks were detained at Rongwu monastery in the neighboring province of Qinghai.

In addition, U.S. government-funded Radio Free Asia reported that two nuns in Sichuan province were detained for protesting.

There was no way of independently verifying either the activist group's claims or the radio report.