May 25: Tibetans in Tawu County on Sunday protested against a Chinese government plan to relocate tens and thousands of local Tibetans from their traditional homeland to other places in order to make way for the construction of a major hydroelectric dam.
The Chinese authorities on 24 May 2009 issued orders to local Tibetans to assemble at Tawu County headquarter for a public announcement.
During the meeting, the local Tibetans were told about Chinese government’s controversial plan .
Just moments after the announcement local Tibetans in the gathering immediately broke up into major protest shouting slogans against the government’s eviction plan.
Within moments, Chinese security personnel lobbed tear gas and carried out violent means to disperse the agitating crowd.
During the clampdown, six Tibetans including a 70-year-old woman, Guru Dolma, Rigzin Dolma and others sustained serious injuries at the hands of Chinese security personnel.
The seriously injured Tibetans were taken away in a van to a nearby hospital but there was no information about their well-being and health condition.
Since the commencement of the dam construction in last year in Tawu County, the Chinese authorities have been forcing local Tibetans to relocate and those who defy official decree were beaten and tortured.