IN TIBET
Time-line of Student Protests:
October 19:
Protests in Rebkong (ch:Tongren)- students from 6 different schools (First Tibetan Middle School/ Teachers’ Training School/ Yifu National Middle School are among the 6)
Demands/Slogans: “Equality of People, Freedom of Language”
Participation: More than 6,000 people
October 20:
Chabcha
Over 2,000 students protested from 6-10am
Demands/Slogans:
1. Return the authority of the Tibetan language
2. Equality Among Nationalities
3. Expand the use of Tibetan language
Protests in Chenza; Tsigorthang Khrigha; Drakar also occur.
October 21: Golok (ch: Goluo)
Three schools, 3,000 students (Teachers Training College, Town Middle School, County Middle School)
Demands/Slogans: “Equality of People, Freedom of Language”
Rebkong (ch: Tongren). Gedun Choephel Middle School- around 700 students-
October 22:
Beijing, Minzu Nationalities University. 400 students
Demands/Slogans: “Preserve Nationality Language and Expand National Education”
Participation: around 400 students.
October 23:
Chabcha (Chinese: Gonghe Dzong) – 20 students of the Tibetan Middle School were arrested
October 24:
Several hundred students and teachers from high schools in Chentsa in Malho County (Chinese: Jianzha County, Huangnan, Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture) took to the streets in support of the continued use of Tibetan in local schools.
October 26:
Voice of Tibet reports that over 300 students protest in Themchen Tsongon, in Amdo Tibet.
Voice of Tibet also reports students from a Tibetan school in Tsayi in Sangchu County in Labrang Amdo, voiced their support to the movement against introduction of Chinese language as medium of instruction in Tibetan schools in Amdo.
October 27:
Tibetan teachers and experts appeal to the government.
A letter written on 15 October by over 300 teachers and students was submitted to authorities. It calls for Tibetan to remain the main language of instruction in schools. The letter points out that students in Qinghai come overwhelmingly from nomadic and farmer communities who are unfamiliar with the Chinese language and therefore would not be able to study in the Chinese language.
