China
Tibetans arrested for instant messagingPosted Oct 29 2009
Chinese police arrested three young adults in Sogdzong County, eastern Tibet on Oct. 1 for sending information about the Dalai Lama abroad through instant messaging. Gyaltsen, 25, Nyima Wangchuk, 24, and Yeshe Namkha, 25, are being held in Nagchu County since Oct. 1. They have not been allowed to contact family since their arrests, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and The Tibet Post reported.
Police may have been monitoring Gyaltsen, Wanchuk and Namkha's Internet activities, an anonymous source told The Tibet Post. The suspects were allegedly sharing photographs and speeches of the Dalai Lama through an instant messaging service called QQ. They were also accused of communicating with individuals outside of China.
Residents of Sogdzong County have previously complained about police harassment, such as frequent ID and security checks and required daily patriotic meetings where officials extol the virtues of the Chinese government. According to The Tibetan Post’s anonymous source, Police also forbade monks of the Sog Tsandan Monastery from observing an end-of-summer retreat. Armed Chinese police allegedly detained the monks for a meeting with Chinese officials and did not allow them to visit their families.