Since Chinese military forces opened fire on Tibetan protesting monks and civilians in Lhasa on Friday, March 14, at least 80 people have been killed, according to Tibet's government in exile.
Dalai Lama's nephew Khedroob Thondup, senator of Tibet's government in exile, pointed out to the Epoch times that the actual death toll may be far greater than the 10 deaths Beijing admitted to. He said a witness saw 67 dead bodies in a closed Lhasa shopping center.
In the telephone interview, Thondup said one of his friends who entered Lhasa on March 15 gave him detailed accounts of situations there.
"Beijing told the armies and police to open fire," said Thondup. "We fear that actual casualties are far higher than reported, because many wounded people don't dare to go to hospitals for treatment."
Thondup's wife Chow Mei-Li, President of Taiwan Friends of Tibet, pointed out that Beijing's violent suppression in Tibet is a "repeat of the 1989 Tiananmen Massacre."
Thondup also said that protests have spread to Gansu and Sichuan provinces where the Chinese authorities also responded with violent attacks. According to the Central News Agency, in the first protest that broke out in Sichuan, three to four Tibetans were killed.
Though the Chinese authorities announced that order has been restored in Lhasa, Chow said the slaughter has not stopped and the tension is still high. "The three major monasteries, each with thousands of monks, are now controlled by the military and police. Some monks burned themselves to death, and many more have attempted to commit suicide. We have no way of knowing all the details about how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is persecuting and killing the monks."
Chow continued, "The entire Lhasa is locked down, and the anti-riot police are searching each household. It's frightening! The entire Tibet is in high tension."
When asked what triggered the protests, Chow said the CCP's preparations for the Beijing Olympic Games are to blame. "Recently the authorities continuously forced the monasteries to accept so called 'patriotic education,' and interfered with the monks' religious activities. Such interferences have lasted for quite some time, and the monks can't endure it any longer."
Thondup said that in the past few days about 500 to 600 monks in Lhasa have walked out to protest. "The anti-persecution protests broke out first among monks, and then many other Tibetans joined in," explained Thondup.
Despite the CCP's bloody suppression, Tibetans will not give in, said Chow. "They can suppress us now," she said, "but they can't suppress us forever. (Chinese authorities) can't stop us from seeking freedom for our religion and our people."
Back in 2007 when Chinese border guards shot a group of escaping Tibetans to death in front of foreign mountaineers, Chow had started to call for a global boycott of Beijing Olympics.
Chow said the latest bloody suppression again mortified her. She reiterated that the CCP does not deserve the honor of hosting the Olympics which symbolizes freedom and peace. She called on the world to have a clear realization of the CCP's violent nature, and reconsider its eligibility as Olympic Games host. "All governments should boycott (the Beijing Olympic Games)!" exclaimed Chow.
Khedroob Thondup is the son of Gyalo Thondup, Dalai Lama's second eldest brother. Around 1990 Khedroob Thondup accompanied his father to visit Hu Jintao and other CCP leaders in mainland China.
