The Tibet Post

Dharamshala: - The standoff at the Kirti monastery continues as Chinese authorities arrested Lobsang Rinchen, a 21-year-old monk from the monastery in Ngaba regionof Eastern Tibet. Rinchen is believed to be a native of Tsamring Tsang house in pastoral division no.2 of Me'uruma Township in Ngaba.

According to sources, Rinchen was arrested and taken away by Ngaba prefecture state security and public security officers to an undisclosed location, the reasons are as of yet unknown.

On 22 April, the Chinese authorities had raided a Tibetan upper middle school in Barkham in Ngaba during which textbooks that were published without official approval were confiscated and burned.

The authorities have also imposed severe restrictions on the students from going out the school for their homes during ongoing summer vacation Cell phones and Internet connection were blocked at the school following the students' hunger strike to protest the death of Phuntsog, a monk of Kirti Monastery. Phuntsog had burned himself to death on 16 March to protest China's crackdown on peaceful protests which rocked Tibet in 2008.

Security has been stepped up at the monastery, where restrictions have been imposed on people, for example ,elderly people in the age group of 50 to 60 are allowed to visit Kirti Monastery only once in a week ,and only after their permit cards have been properly verified by the government.