The whereabouts of a Tibetan journalist, Rangjung, who was arrested around midnight on 11 September 2008 by Sertha County Public Security Bureau official from his home for unknown reason, still remains unknown. According to reliable sources, the friends and family members of Rangjung have not heard from him since his arrest on 11 September. The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) expresses its deepest concern over the well-being of Tibetan journalist and calls for the Chinese authorities to ascertain his whereabouts to the family members.

According to the source, Rangjung, who was an employee at the local Sertha television station was detained by security personnel from his home and taken to unknown location. He was working as a news reporter and a newscaster for the Sertha Television station. At the time of his detention, the security personnel also impounded two laptops from his room. The current whereabouts and reasons for Rangjung’s arrest still remains unknown. He is a father of two children.

Rangjung, a 28-year-old, was born to nomadic family in Palshul Rogsa in Sertha County (Ch: Seda/Sertar Xian), Kardze “Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture” (‘TAP’), Sichuan Province. He had his elementary education from Nyitoe Primary School in Nyitoe Township under Sertha County. After completing his secondary education, he went on to complete his teacher-training course from Dardo Teacher Training College in Dartsedo (Ch: Kangding) in Sichuan Province. Rangjung even taught for a brief period at a school in Nyitoe Township, Sertha County before joining the Sertha Television station. In addition to his work at broadcasting service, Rangjung had composed various articles and had already published two books that deal with Tibetan history, culture, literature and arts etc. He had even composed and edited Tibetan song on a compact disc (CD) entitled “Tsenpoe Boe”.

From the earlier arrest made by the Chinese security personnel during the protest in Sertha county on 15 July 2008, Lhagyal, a layman from Gochok Village, Sertha County, was released after paying fine of 10,000 Chinese yuan. Although information on the release of few lay Tibetans involved in the recent protests surface, after paying hefty monetary fine, yet there were hardly any information on the release of monks and nuns from Sertha county.

Since March 14, Tibet has been sealed off to all outside observers. All tourists and journalists were forced to leave although China did organized three state managed tour of selected medias inside “TAR” and adjoining provinces. Tens of thousands of soldiers and police have been brought in to occupy all of Tibet’s cities and larger towns. Thousands of Tibetans, lay people and monks, have been detained, often as a result of house-to-house raids in the middle of the night. Little if any information has been given to families of their whereabouts. Though many have since been released, many- most of them monks- remain unaccounted for. They have effectively been “disappeared”.

The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) expresses its deepest concern over the numerous cases of enforced and involuntary disappearance that is slowly surfacing from Tibet despite stringent media, communication restriction and censorship. The Centre appeals to the United Nation’s Working Group on Enforced and Involuntary Disappearance (UNWGEID) to press the issue and seek its intervention on the whereabouts of disappeared Tibetans since March 10 Protest in Tibet.