Uncle of Tibetan Who Jumped to Death in Mining Protest is Detained
Source: RFA
Chinese authorities have detained the uncle of a Tibetan villager who jumped to his death this month to oppose Chinese mining operations in a protest-hit Tibetan county, according to local sources.
Jampa Choephel was taken into custody on May 12 by police in Chamdo (in Chinese, Changdu) prefecture of the Tibet Autonomous Region, five days after his nephew committed suicide to highlight opposition to a gold mining project threatening the local environment, a Tibetan resident of the area said. “Jampa Choephel is the uncle of Phakpa Gyaltsen, who died in the protest against the mining project,” the source told RFA’s Tibetan Service, speaking on condition of anonymity.
“He was living in Chamdo town and was looking after Phakpa Gyaltsen’s children along with other children who were attending school in the town,” he said, without giving any details on who is taking care of the children now. “The authorities gave no reason for his detention.”
Gyaltsen died on May 7 after stabbing himself twice and throwing himself from a building in Dzogang (Zuogang) county’s Tongbar town, also in Chamdo.
Read more: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/tibet/uncle-05202014153909.html
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