Accounts of Demonstrations in Lhasa, May-June 1993
(Compiled by An American Traveler | June 1993)
The following information has been provided by a source close to an eyewitness traveller present in Lhasa during the May-June riots. It is being offered for publication by both people in CTN. Neither the source nor the reporter can provide their names.
Sunday, May 23: News of demonstrations.
4:30pm: In restaurant at Barkor P people running and screaming, but no sighting of demonstrations. At Jokhang told that people started to protest, but then dispersed.
Monday, May 24: Rumors of 10:00am demonstration. At Jokhang, all is quiet. (Later heard that protest started at government buildings across town.)
12:30pm: Demonstration moves from Jokhang/Barkor area towards police box. Approximately 150 people. Two banners, one in Chinese, one in Tibetan. As the crowd moves past, westerners take pictures. Two Tibetan [underline] PSB [Public Security Bureau] officers grab the two westerners. One roll of exposed film was confiscated. The protest moves east on Dekyi Shar Lam and makes a loop on the Barkor, cutting in at the Mosque. From the west side of the Barkor the group walked towards the Potala on Mi Mang Lam. At the Offices of the Government of Tibet, the demonstrators turned north and then west onto Dekyi Shar Lam again. They continued in front of the Potala. At this time, two armored trucks and one other truck carrying armed soldiers passed the post office on Dekyi Shar Lam, but turned south, the direction the demonstrators had just come from. After the demonstration passed the Potala it continued along Dekyi Nub Lam. At the corner of Chiling Lam the demonstration was met by 200-300 soldiers in riot gear, some of them with weapons (guns). After the protest passed there, there appeared to be a charge by the People's High Court of Tibet soldiers, but when the protest came around the corner where the Holiday Inn is, it seemed that the protest was, in fact, not attacked from behind. The protesters stood in front of the hotel while foreigners took video and pictures. Then they proceeded across the street to the People's Congress of Tibet, where for a brief moment, they all sat in the road. They then stood up and continued back down Dekyi Nub Lam to the east. At Chi Ling Lam they went north and were met by at least 700 others, mostly womyn [sic]. They continued to do Linkor and then did the Barkor. It was at the Barkor, when the chants of "the things are expensive" turned to ones that called for independence that the military immediately started firing tear gas canisters into the crowd. The crowd dispersed and the tear gas stopped. It is not clear as to how many people were arrested, although there were an estimated 12 to 15 westerners detained, four of whom were forced to write self criticisms and were deported. Also reported was one Tibetan man who was shot in the leg, although it is not clear if it was a bullet or a tear gas canister. That night all of the westerners were locked in their hotels and PSB agents watched the movements of all westerners. A week-long strike was declared by the Tibetans. TAR officials convened to discuss whether the demonstrations were political or economic in nature.
Tuesday, May 25: Westerners were still made to stay in their hotels. At 12 noon to 1:00, a rally of protesters chants were heard and within seconds tear gas was being lobbed into the crowd. Today's were much louder and vibrating the windows and causing difficulty hearing for a few seconds after each shot. At one point, five soldiers in gas masks were seen running towards the Barkor Square as Tibetans ran from it. Reports that this gas was not tear gas were heard, but unconfirmed.
After each protest, the "torture truck," (a vehicle rumored to be used when arresting folks; like a moving truck; always in the square) comes rushing back [underline] into the square.
Wednesday, May 26: Not much. Strike continued.
Thursday, May 27: Three monks from Sera are arrested for shouting slogans calling for independence.
Tuesday, June 1: Four monks and two women get one and a half times around the Barkor shouting "Free Tibet. Severely beaten and arrested.
Friday, June 4: There seem to be 50-60 police in riot gear in the police station on the Barkor at all times. Six teenagers, one monk and three Tibetan flags in three separate groups ran from the Barkor Square into the Barkor in a similar fashion to the Sera monks. Once the first groups was jumped on, a second took off, then a third sole flag bearer when the second was apprehended. One British witness said that all were arrested and beaten severely before being taken away in the "torture truck." He also said that there were two police for each protester and that the crowd scattered initially, but he said many were crying when they saw the demonstrators being beaten.
Sunday, June 6. 2pm: Three monks arrested at Barkor with a banner and "Free Tibet" chants. Unclear as to how they were treated or where they are from.
Friends of Tibet (INDIA),
PO Box 16674, Bombay 400050
www.friendsoftibet.org