Free Tashi Rabten and Druklo

Two Tibetan students known for their fearless writings have been taken into custody by police after a raid at their hostel at the Northwest National Minorities%u2019 University in Lanzhou, capital of Gansu Province, on Apr 6, reported Phayul.com Apr 7, citing unnamed sources.

The two have been named as Tashi Rabten (penname Te%u2019urang) and Druklo (penname Shokjang). The report said the students%u2019 hostel rooms were raided by a party of 16 officials from the city police headquarters. They were reported to have confiscated mobile phones, laptop computers, and books, including study materials.

Tashi was the editor of Shar Dungri (Eastern Snow Mountain), a banned literary magazine which came out after the 2008 protests that swept across the Tibetan Plateau. He had also edited a collection of works called %u201CWritten in Blood%u201D.
Tashi was earlier arrested in Jul%u201909 for his fearless writings. He was reported to have won %u201Cgreat respect and (gained) popularity among students, intellectuals and ordinary readers in Tibet as an outstanding and brave young thinker.%u201D

Tibetan writer from Dzoege  county in Ngaba, Sichuan Province, and editor of the banned literary magazine Shar Dungri (Eastern Snow Mountain), arrested July 27, 2009. Tashi Rabten was reportedly under surveillance for some time while studying at the Northwestern Minorities University in Lanzhou, and there are fears that he may have been detained for his recent book, a collection of political articles focusing on democracy, freedom, and equality entitled Written in Blood, as well as his participation in the publication of Shar Dungri, which dealt with the suppression of the 2008 protests throughout Tibet. He is reportedly being held incommunicado at a detention center in Ngaba.

Tashi Rabten is from Dzoege county in Ngaba, Sichuan province in the Tibetan region of Kham and is due to graduate next year. One of his friends said: "He has won great respect and popularity among students, intellectuals and ordinary readers in Tibet as an outstanding and brave young thinker." Referring to his recent book, "Written in Blood", the Tibetan said: "It consists of many valuable writings on democracy, freedom and equality. In fact, I didn't see anything illegal in there. It's all accurate and true." The same source said that Tashi Rabten had been under surveillance for some time, with his activities strictly monitored, and copies of his book confiscated from the university.

"Written in Blood" is introduced by the author as follows: "Given my young age and lack of qualifications, the appearance of this little book may be premature. After an especially intense year of the usual soul-destroying events, something had to be said, and after pondering on whether to speak out, I finally produced this humble little book between 2008-09, shed like a drop of blood."