Saturday 11 July 2015
Land Grab Protest in Vietnam Results in Death of Farmer
From Radio Free Asia (RFA)
Land Grab Protest in Vietnam Results in Death of Farmer
Le Thi Cham, 54, is pinned down under a bulldozer track during a protest in Hai Duong province, July 10, 2015.Screenshot of video posted by an RFA listener.
A 54-year-old Vietnamese woman died on Friday from injuries sustained when she was crushed by a bulldozer while she and fellow farmers were protesting the confiscation of farmland in northern Vietnam.
In an incident filmed by witnesses and posted on Youtube, Le Thi Cham is seen pinned under the bulldozer's track while she and dozens of farmers shout in vain to get the driver to stop.
According to Vietnamese state media, the farmers were protesting over the meager compensation for farmland seized to build an industrial park in Cam Dien, Hai Duong province, about 60 km (36 miles) from the capital Hanoi. Cham was taken to the hospital in critical condition, but died of her injuries, the reports said.
Land grabs in which government officials use their authority to confiscate and sell land to developers are a common cause of social unrest across Southeast Asia and China, with cases causes small- and-large scale protests on an almost weekly basis.
In many cases, local villagers say they receive little compensation or less than was promised by authorities and are forced to vacate fertile land for less-productive parcels far from their places of origin and with poor infrastructure.
Reported by RFA's Vietnamese Service. Translated by Minh-Ha Le. Written in English by Paul Eckert.
Thursday 21 May 2015
Tibetan political prisoner in critical condition
From Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD)
Tibetan political prisoner in critical condition after release from prison
Palden Thinley was released after seven years in prison.
A Tibetan monk who was recently released after completing a seven-year prison term is in critical condition following injuries suffered during detention and lack of medical care in prison. Palden Thinley, 26, was released from Deyang prison on the afternoon of 17 May 2015 in Kardze (Ch: Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, in the Tibetan province of Kham, according to information received by Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD). On the day of his release, prison authorities handed over Palden Thinley to County Public Security Bureau (PSB) officers in Kardze apparently to prevent local Tibetans from giving him a hero’s welcome. At around 3 am on 18 May 2015, the Kardze County PSB handed over Thinley to Dhato Township PSB, who in turn secretly summoned his family at night to pick him up. At his home, Thinley was welcomed with khatas by his relatives and other local Tibetans.Palden Trinley was released after seven years in prison
In recent years, as a gesture of defiance, local Tibetans have increasingly resorted to welcoming released political prisoners with elaborate ceremonies such as offering khatas (traditional ceremonial scarves), burning incense and throwing lungtas (paper prayer flags) in the air. Such ceremonies are viewed with suspicion by the Chinese authorities who continue to maintain that there are no political prisoners in Tibet. Speaking to the TCHRD, Gonpo Thinley, a former prison mate of Thinley and now living in exile in India said, “Due to terrible conditions in prison, such as lack of enough food and clothing, and the fact that he was beaten and tortured, Palden Thinley suffered severe injuries, including kidney and abdominal injuries.” Palden Thinley, a monk from Kardze Monastery, was detained on 18 May 2008 along with fellow monks Jampa Dorje, Gangkar Thinley, Jamyang Tsering and Tsewang, when they took part in a non-violent protest against the Chinese government in Kardze town. They had raised slogans for the long life of Dalai Lama and freedom for Tibet. Following his arrest, Thinley, who was 19 at the time, was sentenced to seven years in prison for ‘inciting to split the nation’ by the Kardze People’s Intermediate Court. Fellow monks Jampa Dorje, Gangkar Thinley, Jamyang Tsering and Tsewang received sentences ranging from one year and a few months to three years. Palden Thinley was born and raised in Dhato Township in Kardze County.
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