The situation remains tense in Tibet and arrests are continuing. On March 15, 2013, Phayul.com has reported, Arrests continue in Tibet. There have been reports of continuing arrests of Tibetans by Chinese authorities in the month of March, which has generally been considered a sensitive period. Tibetans commemorate March 10 as the National Uprising Day in remembrance of the popular uprisings against Chinese rule in 1959. And March 14 is observed by Tibetans as the anniversary of the pan-Tibet peaceful uprisings of 2008.
A Tibetan man was arrested by Chinese security personnel from the Serta region of eastern Tibet on charges of “taking part in political activities," on March 8. Prior to this on January 24, 2012, when hundreds of Tibetans had come out of the streets calling for freedom and the return of Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama, 22-year-old Pema was shot by Chinese armed forces.
At the time of the January 24, 2012 peaceful demonstrations over 600 Chinese security personnel arrived at the scene in the central town of Serta and began firing indiscriminately at the crowd. Pema’s condition and whereabouts have remained unknown at the time of filing this report. Tibetans who were arrested earlier for taking part in the protests have been sentenced to prison terms of up to seven years.
