Tibet’s tragedy grinds on and on.

As if consecutive catastrophic earthquakes weren’t suffering enough, there’s everyday life. China’s boot stamped on Tibet’s face 65 years ago, to paraphrase Orwell, and grinds it in on and on forever, amen.

China’s rule of Tibet is grim, cruel, venal, corrupt and ruthless.

Don’t believe it? Here is a quick Tibetan news timeline, starting the week of the most recent Himalayan earthquake:

May 12: Police in Driru County of Kham, eastern Tibet, attacked and beat two Tibetan men this week, leaving one in critical condition, sources said.

May 13: Six Tibetans have been detained by Chinese authorities in Qinghai for protesting the demolition of their houses.

May 14: One Tibetan has been killed and two others injured in Kyirong in southern Tibet by a landslide triggered by Tuesday’s earthquake, which measured 7.3 on the Richter scale in neighboring Nepal.

May 16: Conservationists in eastern Tibet were prohibited from photocopying their material, sources say. The copying company, the largest in the region, said the Society for Fish Protection required government approval.

May 17: The 20th anniversary of the abduction by Chinese authorities of the 11th Panchen Lama, the second-ranking figure in Tibetan Buddhism, was marked by observances today.

May 17: Palden Trinlay, 26, a monk in Sichuan’s Kardze County, was released in secret to avoid public celebrations after seven years in prison for protesting China’s rule in Tibetan regions.

May 20: A Lhasa Intermediate People’s court sentenced Gonpo Tenzin, 27, to three-and-a-half years in prison for producing music calling for Tibetan unity and preservation of the Tibetan language.

May 20: Tsewang Choephel, a monk at Nyatso Monastery in Kham Tawu County, was arrested, allegedly on charges he had resisted officers at the scene of the self-immolation of the monk Kalsang Yeshe.

May 2:1 The fatal self-immolation protest Wednesday of Tenzin Gyatso, 35, of China’s Sichuan province was preceded by weeks of police harassment and intimidation, according to sources.

May 22: Chinese authorities in Nyikar County have arrested a Tibetan man on suspicion of carrying the world peace flag and a picture of the Dalai Lama. His current condition and whereabouts remain unknown 20 days after his arrest.

May 23: Police in western China’s Sichuan province have detained Sonam Dargye on suspicion of organizing a prayer festival that would include images of Tibetan religious figures. Dargye was detained about 20 days ago and there remains no information about his present condition, a source said.

May 26: Chinese authorities in Tibet have detained two young Tibetans believed to have transmitted politically sensitive writings and images of the Dalai Lama over the WeChat microblog, sources said. No reason was given for their detention.

May 26: The two-day International Rangzen Conference concluded on Sunday at India International Centre in New Delhi with participants reaffirming their stance on Rangzen, or independence for Tibet. About 100 Tibetan activists, students and community leaders from India, Nepal, the United States and Europe attended.

May 27: Sangye Tso, aged about 36, a Tibetan mother of two in northwestern China’s Gansu province, set herself ablaze and died in the second self-immolation protest this month. Tso’s burning brings to 141 the number of self-immolation protests in Tibetan areas of China.

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Author: David Lewis

Editor: Caroline Beaton 

Photo: Google images for reuse