Police in western China\u2019s Sichuan province have arrested a senior monk at a Tibetan monastery in Ngaba county on suspicion of holding politically sensitive discussions on the popular WeChat social media platform, according to Tibetan sources.<\/p>\n
Konmey, a 45-year-old monk in charge of discipline at Ngaba\u2019s Trotsik monastery, was taken into custody on July 20 and is now being held in detention, a source in Ngaba told RFA this week.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe had performed prayers on his WeChat group, but he only talked about the number of prayers he had accumulated,\u201d RFA\u2019s source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. \u201cHe said nothing at all about political issues.\u201d<\/p>\n
Konmey had enrolled at Trotsik monastery at a young age and had risen to be head of the monastery\u2019s discipline committee, according to information received from a source at the Dharamsala, India-based branch of Ngaba\u2019s Kirti monastery.<\/p>\n
No details were immediately available regarding specific charges brought against Konmey or his present whereabouts or condition, the source at Kirti said.<\/p>\n
Speaking to RFA, a Tibetan source living in exile said he doubted that Konmey would have discussed politically sensitive topics online.<\/p>\n
\u201cKonmey is someone who is usually aware of politics, but he wouldn\u2019t talk about politically sensitive issues on social media. We believe that he was detained because of his involvement in a WeChat group where he was only reciting prayers,\u201d the source said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t know that there were any other kinds of conversations on that WeChat group, only praying,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Chinese communication clampdowns in Tibetan areas aimed at stopping the flow of news about protests or other information to outside contacts have made it difficult to learn more about Konmey\u2019s present circumstances, the source added.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are tight restrictions in place in Ngaba at the moment, so I would advise Tibetans in exile not to try to communicate with Tibetans living inside Tibet,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Formerly an independent nation, Tibet was invaded and incorporated into China by force 70 years ago.<\/p>\n
Chinese authorities maintain a tight grip on the region, restricting Tibetans\u2019 political activities and peaceful expression of cultural and religious identity, and subjecting Tibetans to persecution, torture, imprisonment, and extrajudicial killings.<\/p>\n
Reported by Sangyal Kunchok for RFA\u2019s Tibetan Service. Translated by Tenzin Dickyi. Written in English by Richard Finney.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n \n \n
\r\nThis content originally appeared on Radio Free Asia<\/a> and was authored by Radio Free Asia.
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