The tensions between the Tibetans and Chinese authorities has been getting uglier. On March 18, 2013, Radio Free Asia has reported, Chinese Police Remove Tibetan Cliff Prayer. Chinese police are said to have completely destroyed a prayer put on a cliff by Tibetan villagers calling for the long life of exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama.
Sources in the region have reported Chinese security forces have continued to crack down on expressions of national identity in Tibetan-populated areas. The prayer, which was destroyed, covered a large area of the rock face and was placed above carved and painted mantras. It was inscribed on March 10 by residents of Khangmar village in the Dzatoe township of Yulshul prefecture’s Tridu county. This prayer was put up on a cliff to commemorate the 54th anniversary of Tibetan Uprising Day, which was a failed 1959 national rebellion against Chinese rule.
Lobsang Sangye, a Tibetan living in India, has said, “On learning about this, Chinese officials labeled the act a ‘political incident’ and sent security forces to erase the prayer.” There are no details available at this time regarding the possible detention of Tibetans held responsible for writing the prayer. Sangye has also said, "Tibetans in the area are living in great fear, and it is hard to get detailed information from local Tibetans on the phone."
