Tibetans are also still being arrested for writing articles in print which are deemed antigovernment in scope, such as the monk Dokru Tsultrim from Ngaba Gomang monastery, who was arrested for writing articles in his own 'Khawal Tseok' magazine in April 2009. The publication was stopped following his arrest, and his whereabouts and wellbeing are unknown.
A monk and writer from Labrang monastery, Gansu Province, Kunga Tseyang was arrested by the Public Security Bureau on 17 March 2009, according to reports from the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy.
Kunga was arrested for allegedly writing political essays on a website named Zin-dis,Jottings . Known by his pen name 'sun of the snowland'. Kunga is a respected young writer, intellectual and artist, and it is thought that his arrest is part of an ongoing sweep of Tibetan online writers which began during the spring 2008 unrest in Tibet.
According to TCHRD's sources, Kunga Tseyang, from Amdo Labrang Tashi Kil Monastery, was arrested by the public security bureau on 17 March 2009. He was taken from his living room during a midnight raid and his wherabouts are unknown. His age has not been confirmed.
An avid traveler, Kunga had previously visited various parts of Tibet and china, and has written about the special characteristics of Tibetan topographical landscapes, culture, customs, habits and religious heritage. He took great pride in being a Tibetan and is recognised for being a well educated and knowledgeable monk. Kunga dreamt of becoming a fully fledged photographer.
Kunga had been under close watch by the chinese oppressors in Sanghu County for some time. Due to his travels to different parts of Tibet and china he hardly stayed at his Labrang Monastery except during important prayer and ceremonies. He was arrested by the chinese security forces during a midnight raid in his living room on 17 March 2009.No further information about his whereabouts are known and there are serious concerns over his safety.
The sharing of information using the internet, and especially blogging is popular in Tibet and china, and is another area of Tibetan life which the chinese government seeks to control. The power of the younger generation of bloggers was demonstrated in spring 2009 when a group of chinese bloggers agreed to log off the internet in protest against the government's attempt to introduce a new information filtering system to chinese computers which would limit access.
After the bloggers demanded that the software should not be introduced and criticism came from overseas, the chinese government backed down and abandoned plans to introduce the system. The chinese government is increasingly aware of the potential power of the internet in allowing citizens to circumvent controls and both learn what is really happening in china and Tibet and share their political opinions. Other Tibetans to be arrested for sharing their views in blogs include Woeser, Wangdu, Norzin Wangmo, Therang and Jamyang Kyi.
