Following are first-hand accounts from people who spoke to RFA from Tuesday, March 18, onward. For security reasons, we do not identify some of our sources by name to protect them from retaliation. These accounts do not necessarily reflect the views of Radio Free Asia and may not have been independently confirmed:
A caller from Lhasa, April 23, 2008:
“We are in hell now. When we go out to shop for groceries, we have to have two IDs: a residence permit and an ID issued by the Lhasa municipal government. We have been told not to leave [Lhasa] or to move around until the end of May. We are being forced to criticize the Dalai Lama. Many of us who rent shops or homes have been warned that if we have links to separatists, or if protestors are found in those properties, the property owners will be detained and punished. So it is hell here in Tibet.”
A caller from Kardze, April 23, 2008:
“On April 23 at around 1:00 p.m., two nuns protested in the Kardze town center. Their names are Bumo Lhaga, age 32, and Sonam Dechen, age 30, and they come from the Drakar nunnery in Kardze [in Chinese, Ganzi] county [in the Kardze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan province]. They began by distributing hand-written flyers calling for the Dalai Lama to return to Tibet and saying that Tibet is independent. Chinese security officers saw the flyers and began to collect them, demanding to know who had distributed them.”
“Then, the nuns were observed on a street corner shouting slogans calling for the return of the Dalai Lama and for freedom for Tibetans. They were quickly detained and taken away in a police vehicle. Even while being taken away, they continued to shout. They were taken to the Kardze detention center in the town, but no one knows whether they will be held at that same place or taken somewhere else. The nuns declared in their flyers that they were acting on their own and that the Drakar nunnery was not involved in their protest.”
An official at the Kardze Public Security Bureau Office:
"No nuns were arrested. I don't know."
From a caller in Tibet who said he is a member of the Communist Party, April 17, 2008:
“I want to be very candid. Tibetans inside Tibet sacrificed so many lives in these protests. They did it for a reason, and that reason was freedom. They did it for all Tibetans. This touches me deeply. I myself am a Tibetan, but a member of the Chinese Communist Party, and I work in an office. When I saw these sacrifices, I was greatly affected. One of the reasons I have for calling your radio is to appeal to all Tibetan organizations and to the Kashag [the cabinet of the Tibetan government-in-exile] to find ways to resolve the Tibetan issue. We have heard that all Tibetans living outside of Tibet are united. They should remain united. We pin our hopes on all those Tibetans living in foreign countries. Therefore, all Tibetan organizations and the Kashag should give serious thought to how to deal with the Chinese.”
“I heard that a Tibetan delegation spoke with China during the last year. I also heard that that dialogue did not bring any result. Nothing concrete will be achieved through dialogue. In the past, too, Tibetans discussed the 17-Point Agreement, but nothing concrete was achieved. Dialogue with the Chinese will not bring any results. No concrete result was ever achieved in past discussions with Chinese officials.”
“Now, the situation in Tibet is pathetic and very urgent. All Tibetans, and especially the elderly, are worried and frightened under Chinese rule. Tibetans both inside and outside Tibet must cooperate to bring freedom to Tibet.”
From a caller in Tibet, April 14, 2008:
“It is very difficult to give an exact number of people who were killed. One of the main reasons is that many were killed in the area of the Jokhang, and many of these had come from the Kham and Amdo regions to Lhasa for different reasons. Most of them did not have residence permits. Therefore, because of a lack of documentation, there is no way to verify who was killed. Over 100 Tibetans were killed. Many of my friends saw Tibetans being killed.”
“In the beginning, many injured Tibetan protesters were taken to Chinese hospitals, where they were treated. Later, when injured Tibetans were taken to hospitals, they were detained instead of receiving medical attention. In fact, on the second day of the protests, even Tibetans who had bruises were treated as suspects and detained. So Tibetans who were injured had no choice but to wait for death … “
“Now, the situation for Tibetans in Lhasa is very tense. If a Tibetan argues over prices with a Chinese grocery-shop owner, the shop owner calls the police and the Tibetan is detained as a suspect. Any Tibetan without a residence permit is also detained. Even elderly Tibetans who cannot walk straight and Tibetan schoolchildren are searched. The Han Chinese don’t need residence permits. Their spoken Mandarin language is itself their permit.”
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“OnMarch 10, three monks began a peaceful protest supported by a Tibetan who ran astall in the market area, Tromsik Khang. They took out Tibetan flags andprotested. According to security officials, the monks were from Sera monastery.All three were detained and beaten up. On that same day, a group of armedpolice was sent toward Drepung monastery, since monks from Drepung were comingtoward Lhasa.When the police stopped them, the monks demanded to know why they could not goto their homes, and there were arguments and some clashes. On March 12-13,monks at Sera monastery rose up and protested. I had actually planned to visitSera on March 12, but all vehicles were being stopped at the Lhasa Middle Schooland no one was allowed to proceed beyond that point. Some of our friends werealso stopped at the same place. Then we heard that monks at Ganden monasteryhad risen in protest. Lhasacity couldn’t send enough police, so a small contingent of police from the citywent to Taktse county and ordered all young county government workers to reportto Ganden. Chinese soldiers were also sent along.”
“OnMarch 14, I was approaching the Jokhang temple, also called the Tsuglakhang,and found that all roads leading to the Ramoche monastery had been blocked.When I arrived at Ramoche, the monastery itself was blocked by police vehicles.Suddenly the Ramoche monks rushed out in protest. They overturned one or twopolice vehicles and ran back inside the monastery. A large group of Tibetanyouths who had gathered there watched all this, and when the police began toverbally threaten them, they threw stones at the police. The police chasedthem, and many of them ran away.”
“Whenthey ran past the water fountain in the Tibetan market at Tromsik Khang, manyyoung Khampas in the area began to rush toward Ramoche. They also fought thepolice with stones. At that time, many Khampas gathered in front of theTsuglakhang. When I arrived there, some of them were offering scarves in thedirection of the Jokhang. Some of them had covered their faces with scarves.One Khampa stood on a vehicle in front of the Tsuglakhang and shouted, ‘If youare Tibetans, you should rise up!’ Then he got down and set fire to the threepolice vehicles in front of the Tsuglakhang.”
“Later,they marched toward the headquarters of the Tibet Autonomous Region government,shouting that there were too many Chinese in Lhasa and that inflation was harmingTibetans. At that time, we heard the sound of armored personnel carriers, andpeople began to shout that troops had arrived. Armed police chased theprotesters away, and sometimes the protesters chased the police away. On thatsame day, Tibetans in other areas of Lhasarose up, and the protests spread to other areas. The Chinese authorities in Lhasa blamed the DalaiLama for all of these protests.”
“Ipersonally saw six Tibetans who had been killed in one day. [At] Ani Tsangku inLhasa there isa hospital. People told me that five or six Tibetans died there. When someTibetans went to see them, they saw the bodies along with offerings of lamps.Some Tibetans I knew were also killed. One, a Tibetan from Luphuk named LhakpaTsering, used to drive tourist vehicles. His friends called him by the nicknameHala Hala. He was hit in his head and died. While I was in the crowd, I heardsomeone shout ‘I’m hit!’ When he came closer, I saw that his pants had beenpunctured with several holes. The police used special ammunition that mushroomswhen it hits its target. Later, this man fainted, and his face turned yellow. Itold the people nearby to bind his leg with a scarf.”
“WhenI went to fetch some water for him, I saw another Khampa who had been hit andwas bleeding. Later, I heard that the young boy died. He was only around 16. Hehad not even been in the protests. Even Lhakpa Tsering, who was killed, hadgone to the hospital to see his mother and was shot on his way back. There wasalso a young girl of about 16 who had been shot. Her whole body was covered inblood—we could see only her white hand. Her mother was crying, since the girlwas her only child. When other Tibetans tried to console her by putting somemoney in a box, she threw the box away. She said that her daughter had died ina good cause and that she had no regrets.”
“Somany Tibetans were detained. Through the window of my guesthouse, I saw manybeing taken away. If we had looked out with the lights on, we might have beenshot, since there were many armed police around with rifles ready to fire. So Iwatched from my window after switching off the light. Fifty or 60 armed policeraided Tibetan houses and took Tibetans away. One night, I saw a Tibetan whosehands had been tied and pulled up behind his back. As he was being draggedaway, he stumbled over a drain and fell. They beat him, and I heard them sayingin Chinese, ‘Shoot him!’ ‘Kill him!’ On March 14 and 15, gunshots could beheard going off just like fireworks during festivities. We weren’t allowed togo out. I also saw many young Chinese and Tibetan girls and women dressed inTibetan clothes. I was told that they were all Chinese informers and thatseveral of them had been ‘planted’ in the community.”
“Chinesepropaganda blames the Dalai Lama for all of this. As a Tibetan, I feel paindeep in my heart when I see him blamed for something he never did. I have evenseen him criticized by many Tibetans. One old lady who had been the wife ofKunphel-la, a government minister at the time of the 13th Dalai Lama, wascriticizing him with a loud voice. Many of them could have been coerced to dothis by the Chinese, but they were blaming His Holiness with great ferocity. Iwas surprised to hear them using such language to criticize him. However, otherTibetans that I met heard through the radio of similar protests in other partsof Tibet,and they felt a great sense of achievement. They shared information with eachother and knew what was going on in other regions of Tibet.”
“TheTibetans have really been pushed into a corner. There are so many Chinese in Lhasa. I used to seeTibetan youths hanging out on every street corner when I visited in 1989. Now,there are Chinese everywhere. I’m not sure whether this is true, but I heardthat over 10,000 Chinese immigrants will be settled in a new residentialcomplex in Liwu, with another 10,000 being settled in the new city complex in Phenpo. The presentconcentration of Tibetan people in the Barkhor area will be dispersed and movedto high-rise complexes in different parts of the Lhasa area. All of these plans are to becarried out after the Olympics.”
“WhileI was still in Lhasa,I heard that the city government had issued a wanted list of several persons.The first on the list was the Khampa who had stood on the Chinese vehicle andcalled on the Tibetans to rise up. Later, I heard he had been arrested at theairport. He was alive when he was taken in for interrogation, but he wasbrought out dead. A second person was brought out with broken arms and legs,and no one knew whether he was alive or dead.”
"ManyTibetans hoped that foreign reporters could be there. Others said this wasn'tnecessary, since Americans could take photos of the protests from satellitecameras. They hoped so much that foreigners could spread the word and telltheir story to the world. There are many prisons in the Lhasa area. All of them were packed withdetained Tibetans. One Tibetan that I know, a driver, went to a detentioncenter and saw Tibetans held together in a huge cell. Most of them were naked.They had no toilets and no water, and all of them had to defecate in the samecell. From my guest house, I myself saw over 100 Tibetans being taken away.People even saw five or six army trucks in the area of Lhalu. The vehicles werepacked with Tibetans with tied hands who were being escorted by Chineseparamilitary… I think more than 1,000 Tibetans were detained."—Tibetan man, resident in the United Kingdom, who witnessed the March protestsin Lhasa andensuing crackdown
“Withina short period, about 200 Tibetans were detained. In the midst of thecommotion, it was hard to tell who was alive or dead and who was taken away. Isaw some Chinese with head injuries. Then, my sister told me that she had seennine Tibetan bodies in the area of Luphuk. I myself saw a Tibetan woman and aman lying dead in Ani Tsangku hospital. When I arrived at the Lhasa CityPeople’s Hospital, I saw three Tibetans being brought in. One of the injuredwas Tenzin Norbu from Kham Pelbar. His sister brought him in, and I recognizedhim. He had been shot in the head, and the hospital suggested that he should betaken to the TAR People’s Hospital. He was vomiting and may not have survived.That boy was very young—about 21 or 22—and according to his sister he was astudent in a school just below Sera monastery. Another youth had also been shotin the head. He was bleeding heavily, and there was little hope for hissurvival. Another Tibetan youth had been hit in the hip and had about fourbullet wounds.”
“I thoughtthat this [the uprising] was the right thing to do. I participated in theprotests and was among the protesters in the area of Ramoche monastery forabout two hours. I knew that the protests were expressions of Tibetan despairover Chinese oppression in our own country. The actual suppression andcrackdown by Chinese forces began on the night of March 14. At roughly around8:00 p.m., Tibetans in the Lhasaarea heard that Chinese forces were coming. Many left and went to their homes,while others continued their protests. That very night I saw many Tibetansbeing taken away and Chinese armed police firing on Tibetans.”
“Isaw them myself. I heard gunshots on March 14, 15, 16. One of those who died inLuphuk was Lhakpa Tsering. He was known to us. He is survived by a youngdaughter. He was from Toelung Dechen and worked as a driver. He died on Fridayand his funeral was planned for the following Monday, but local officials tookhis body for a post mortem because of the gunshot wound to his head. Later, theyhanded over some ashes in place of his body. Most of the Tibetan families whoseloved ones were killed could not be traced. It was difficult to know whetherthey were alive or dead or under detention. Most of the dead bodies were takenaway and disposed of by the Chinese.”
"WhileI was in Lhasa,I heard that Tibetans who were detained were not taken to Drapchi or Toelungjail because of unrest in those places. So many were taken to the Gutsa andNyethang detention centers near the railway station. About 200 Tibetans weredetained and interrogated at Nyethang. Even in Phenpo Lhundrub county, theChinese television showed protests by farmers, monks, and students. The Chineseran programs saying that the protesters had surrendered to government authorities.But when I talked with some people from Phenpo, they denied having surrenderedand said the Chinese authorities were telling lies."—Tibetan woman who lives in Australia whoparticipated in RFA-Tibetan's Round Table discussion April 5. She was in Lhasa during theprotests.
"InChamdo (in Chinese, Changdu) county (Tibet Autonomous Region), the localChinese authorities have issued a government circular stating that the localpeople and authorities should watch for any Tibetan who comes from the areas ofAmdo and Kham Ganzi (in Tibetan, Kardze). In Chamdo city, there was no unrest.Most of the residents are government workers. However, there is a large groupof armed police in the town. On April 2, the government informed localgovernment workers and the local population to be vigilant for Tibetans fromthe areas of Ganzi and Amdo. According to the government memorandum, localauthorities are authorized to detain any Tibetan who enters Chamdo from thosetwo areas. Such restrictions cause tremendous hardship for Tibetans who travelon business or who work at day-labor jobs." —Tibetansource in Chamdo, speaking with RFA reporter in Australia, April 2, 2008
"Therewas an explosion at a place close to a town in Gonjo (in Chinese, Gongjue)county in the Tibet Autonomous Region. At this place, there is a house used bycounty and subdistrict government workers as their residence. Recently, thisbuilding was badly damaged in an explosion, though the exact date and time thistook place is not clear. When the site was examined, four explosive deviceswere found, only two of which had actually exploded. None of the occupants ofthe building was hurt." —Tibetan source,speaking with RFA reporter in Australia,April 2, 2008
"OnMarch 28, a monk named Tsering Dorje from Nyera monastery in Pashoe (inChinese, Basu) county in the Chamdo (in Chinese, Changdu) prefecture (TibetAutonomous Region) was detained by Chinese police. He had gone to the countygovernment center and put up posters demanding religious freedom and the returnof the Dalai Lama. Since armed police were in the area, he was quickly takenaway. Local Tibetans believe that he was locked up in the local jail. Over ahundred monks from Nyera monastery set out to the county center to demand hisrelease, but were persuaded by the abbot and senior monks not to go." —Tibetan source, speaking with RFA's Tibetanservice, April 2, 2008
"Hugecontingents of Chinese armed police are deployed close to the main monasteriesin Kham. There are 2,000 at Palyul (in Chinese, Baiyu).There are about 500 atthe Tromtak Buddhist Center, and about 1,000 at Horpo, which is very close toKatok monastery. Armed police are entering monasteries and ransacking monks'quarters and the residences of head lamas. When they find photographs of the DalaiLama, the police seize the pictures and blame the monks for having them. LocalTibetans have been warned not to move about after 9:00 p.m. If anyone is foundafter that hour, they will be detained for three months. They have also beenwarned that when groups of armed police move through the towns, no one isallowed to block their way, and that if anyone does this, they may be killedwith no complaints allowed or compensation given. At Palyul monastery, theChinese have ordered the monks to fly the Chinese flag from the monastery roof,but Palyul has not complied. The Chinese have launched campaigns to criticizethe Dalai Lama and are showing propaganda films describing the involvement of'the Dalai clique' [in the recent unrest] and accusing Tibetans of attackingmosques and Han Chinese shops and restaurants in Lhasa. Senior lamas are beingforced to denounce the Dalai Lama and are not permitted to freely move around."—Tibetan source in Kham, speaking withRFA's Tibetan service, April 2, 2008
"Iam caught in the middle. I don't know what to say. I am a Tibetan, but I amalso a government employee. I am not comfortable with expressing my ownopinion." —Tibetan civil servant wholives near Labrang monastery in Xiahe (in Tibetan, Sangchu) county, Gansu province,speaking with RFA's Mandarin service, April 2, 2008
"Idon't buy what [Chinese government-controlled] television has said, but Icannot talk to you on the phone." —Tibetanwoman in Ganzi (in Tibetan, Kardze) prefecture, Sichuan province, speaking withRFA's Mandarin service, April 2, 2008
"It'staboo even to mention the name of the Dalai Lama." —Tibetan college student in Chengdu, Sichuan province, speaking withRFA's Mandarin service, April 2, 2008
"Theywere killed by troops on March 14." —Tibetanwoman in Zhuoni (in Tibetan, Chone) county (Gannan/Kanlho Tibetan AutonomousPrefecture of Gansu province), confirming that monks were killed by Chineseforces during an earlier protest in the area, speaking with RFA's Mandarinservice, March 31, 2008
"Anarmed-forces division from Wuhan, in Hubei province, has been deployed in thearea of Zhuoni (in Tibetan, Chone) county (Gannan/Kanlho Tibetan AutonomousPrefecture of Gansu province). Armed police are trying to arrest Tibetans whoremain at large. There are still some sporadic riots." —Gansu man, speaking with RFA's Mandarin service,March 30, 2008
"Manyarmed police are still stationed near the Langmu monastery that is located inSichuan province. There are two Langmu monasteries; one is in Sichuan, while theother is [across the province border] in Gansu. Only the monks in the Langmumonastery in Sichuan are still protesting. There have been no confrontations,but tourists are not allowed to go there." —LocalTibetan man, to RFA's Mandarin service, March 30, 2008
"Westill demand freedom." —Tibetan monk inLuhuo (in Tibetan, Draggo) county (Ganzi/Kardze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan province), to RFA's Mandarinservice, March 30, 2008
"Moretroops arrived here a couple of days ago. I don't know the exact number, but Iheard that this time they are armed police. They are deployed in both urban andrural areas. About 30 to 40 people were detained; many of them are localnomads. Some just turned themselves in, but others were detained … A few soldierson patrol were attacked by nomads a few days ago … I have been asked to writedown my opinions about the riots and to write a condemnation of the Dalai Lama.Many other businessmen have been told to do the same. Of course you cannotwrite down whatever you want."—Residentof Jiuzhi (in Tibetan, Chigdril) county (Guoluo/Golog Tibetan AutonomousPrefecture of Qinghaiprovince, speaking with RFA's Mandarin service, March 30, 2008
"Iwas punished for taking that interview."—Governmentofficial in Ganzi (in Tibetan, Kardze) TibetanAutonomous Prefectureof Sichuanprovince who had spoken earlier with RFA to confirm riots in the area, speakingwith RFA's Mandarin service, March 30, 2008
"Weare not clear on the situation. We do not go out that much … Let's not talkabout it. Please, I implore you …."—Tibetanwoman living near Lhasa,to RFA's Mandarin service, March 27, 2008
"Thingsshould be okay now. Only a couple of days ago, there were troops at everyintersection. There was trouble in some areas, but things were quiet in otherareas. The troops pulled away yesterday … There must still be troops [in themonasteries]."—Han Chinese woman who ownsa shop in Lhasa,speaking to RFA's Mandarin service, March 27, 2008
"Theydetained a lot of Tibetans. Those who committed serious crimes are beingdetained. Those whose offenses were not so serious have been released … [Thosewho were detained] were being hauled to our side of the county one car loadafter another."—Han Chinese woman livingin Zhuoni county in the southern part of Gansuprovince, speaking to RFA's Mandarin service, March 27, 2008
"OnMonday, about 1,000 people, including hundreds of monks from the Jueri[probably Chogri, in Tibetan] monastery and nuns from the Woge [probablyNgokhog, in Tibetan] nunnery, took part in a protest in Luhuo county[Ganzi/Kardze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture]. Chinese police killed a lama.They fired shots at the lamas and killed one. He was chanting 'Free Tibet!' Wewere marching. The troops blocked the road and fired shots. Monday night, theydetained about 30 lamas … On Tuesday, more than 200 lamas from Shouling[Tibetan name unknown] monastery, also in Luhuo county, took to the streets. Ijoined them. We were chanting 'We want freedom!' as we marched. There wereabout 100 troops there, but there was no confrontation. I don't think anyonetook to the streets today, because we were not allowed to go out today. Theentrance to the monastery is manned by armed guards."—Tibetan monk, speaking to RFA's Mandarin service,March 26, 2008
"Rightnow, we are protesting in the area of Tsolho. We are demanding that the Chineseleadership open a dialogue with His Holiness the Dalai Lama and peacefullyresolve the Tibetan issue. We are also demanding that His Holiness be allowedto visit Tibet.Our protest is peaceful and involves about ten to fifteen monks from Serlhomonastery in the Tsolho (in Chinese, Hainan)prefecture. Just now we are marching toward the subdistrict headquarters, andfrom there we plan to go to the county government center. Hundreds of localTibetans, mainly nomads, have joined us ... We have marched about four to fivemiles from Serlho monastery, but we fear that the Chinese security forces willnot allow us to proceed to Shang and the county government center. This protestmarch is also an expression of our support to those Tibetans who launchedpeaceful protests in Lhasa and other parts of Tibet. Now,security forces seem to be coming. Thank you. Please let others know what weare doing and broadcast it to the world." —Monkprotester, speaking live during protest march, in interview with RFA's Tibetanservice, March 22, 2008
"OnMarch 18, we—the monks of Palyul Darthang monastery in Amdo Golog (in Chinese,Guoluo)—marched to the local county government center. There were about 300 ofus, joined by local Tibetans. At that time, there were no PAP there, but onlyabout 40 local police. We marched to the local government office compound,pulled down the Chinese flag, and put up the Tibetan flag. The local policedidn't dare to interfere. They simply watched from a distance and tookphotographs. We then marched to the local school and hospital and pulled downthe Chinese flag and replaced it with the Tibetan flag. We also stormed thelocal detention center and demanded that the authorities release all theprisoners, which they did. We conducted all these protests peacefully, harmedno one, and did no damage. Then, later in the afternoon, four trucks full ofarmed security forces arrived ... They arrested about five to six Tibetans, andpossibly more. Right now, only those monks who took no part in the protest arestill in the monastery. The rest are hiding up in the mountains. The head monksare being pressured to hand over the main culprits. [The Chinese] are alsoannouncing that anyone who surrenders voluntarily will be spared. The rest willface 'serious consequences.' The monastery is now surrounded by securityforces. Please let others know what we did and what our condition is. Thanks."—Monk at Palyul Darthang, speaking to RFA's Tibetanservice, March 22, 2008
"OnMarch 20, Chinese security forces arrived in the town of Kiku in Serthar (Seda,in Chinese) county. There were about 1,000 of them. They tried to pull down theTibetan flag that had been raised by protestors at the town headquartersbuilding on the 17th, and when the protestors peacefully resisted, the securityforces opened fire, killing two protestors. Their names were Kyari and Tsedo.Both were from Tseshul village. Another eight persons, including Yeshe Dorjeand Tabke, were seriously wounded and were taken to Serthar county hospital. Inthe same county, over 1,000 Tibetans led by monks from Serthar Sera monasterybegan a protest march, walking about 30 miles to the point where the twoTibetans were killed. They carried Tibetan flags and pictures of the Dalai Lamaand shouted slogans like 'Long Live the Dalai Lama!,' 'Human Rights forTibet!,' and 'Tibet is Independent!' They also distributed leaflets calling forTibetan independence. The security forces threatened them with 'seriousconsequences,' but the protestors are determined to continue with theirpeaceful demonstrations. So far, there have been no [additional] shootings."— Source in Serthar, interviewed by RFA Tibetanservice, March 21, 2008.
"Iam in Lhasa at my brother's house, but we cannot go into the town. The securityforces have blocked everything off … Those who have residence permits areallowed to move around, but those who don't are not allowed to go out. On the15th and 16th, any Tibetan going out was detained. Now, the Chinese securityforces are still blocking us. Chinese security personnel are bringing photostaken by security forces and asking people if they know who these persons areand where they can be found. We heard that one monk was recently arrested. TheChinese have jammed RFA and VOA broadcasts, and we can not hear programs inLhasa."—Tibetan American citizen who isstill in Lhasa, interviewed by RFA Tibetan service, March 20, 2008.
"ManyChinese security forces have arrived in the Serkar monastery in the Kham Gapaarea to impart re-education programs among the monks. But all the monks refusedto participate in the program and instead raised slogans demanding religiousfreedom and human rights. There are around 500 monks. The Chinese army beforeleaving the monastery threatened the monks that they were going to come backthe next day to deal with them. I have not received any further informationafter that."—Tibetan witness in Ngaba[Aba], March 20, 2008.
"InQinghai, Tibetan students from the Yushu Tibetan Autonomous area protested onMarch 19. There are about 800 students, and roughly 400 participated in theprotests. They brought down Chinese flags and set them on fire. Security forcescame in and the student protesters were surrounded. The local security forcesissued a warning that they have orders to shoot anyone if they create problemsin the area. The Tibetan students aren't allowed to make any contact with otherTibetans in the area for fear of protests."—Sourcein Qinghai, March 20, 2008
"Inthe Tseko area of Amdo, the monks are continuing peaceful protests as of March20. About 2,000 Tibetans, both monk and laypersons, are involved in theprotests. The protesters are calling for the Chinese leadership to openpeaceful dialogue with the Dalai Lama and resolve the Tibetan issue peaceful.They are demanding a meaningful autonomous status inclusive of all Tibetanareas. They were also demanding the Chinese leadership to allow the Dalai Lamato visit the Amdo region. Right now there are no security forces in the areabut we heard that they are coming. We have no freedom inside. We are right nowprotesting in front of county government offices. We are about 2,000protestors, and we are protesting peacefully."—Amdo protester, speaking above the sound of a demonstration toRFA-Tibetan, March 20
"Asof today, the Chinese police are conducting house-to-house searches of allTibetan homes in the Amdo Ngaba [Aba] area. Pictures of Dalai Lama or anyarticles, objects, and documents that are politically sensitive in nature arebeing confiscated—and at the same, they arrest Tibetans when any such items arefound in their homes. Tibetans are also told that they will be detained untilthe end of Olympics and once the Olympics are over, court proceedings will thenbegin." —Tibetan witness in Ngaba, March20
"Wemust show IDs when going in and out of the city. The curfew is still in effectand the streets are basically abandoned. The shops are not doing much business.People are staying home."—Tibetanresident of Lhasa, speaking to RFA-Mandarin, March 20
"Peopleare getting arrested for saying even one sentence that they oughtn't say. I amscared. I cannot tell you anything."—Tibetanwoman resident of Lhasa, speaking to RFA-Mandarin, March 20
"Alot of people have been arrested. I have been staying home and haven't beenable to keep in touch with my friends. My cell phone has no signal. When peoplecall me on my cell phone the message says it's turned off. But in fact I neverturned it off."—Tibetan man, resident ofLhasa, speaking to RFA-Mandarin, March 20
"InLhasa, Tibetans without IDs are being detained—regardless whether theyparticipated in the protest. A lot of Tibetans are nomadic herdsmen who don't carryIDs. Prisons in Lhasa are filled to capacity."—Spokesman, Tibetan exile government, speaking to RFA-Mandarin, March20
"Lastnight 60 police trucks arrived in Bora area. Seven to 10 were already placed inthe area. But this morning all 60 police trucks were gone. Monks in the localmonasteries aren't allowed out and those who are outside aren't allowed in. OnMarch 18, Tibetans from different remote areas came to the county center onhorses, and many young Tibetans come on motorcycles. The motorcycles were runover by Chinese police trucks and over 30 of them completely crushed. So farthere are no reports of arrests and shooting in this area."—Kunchok Gyatso, of Drepung Goman monastery inIndia, after speaking with sources in Bora
"InLhasa, many Tibetans are being arrested. Just this morning I saw three Tibetansarrested in the Taring market area. They were severely beaten and thenhandcuffed and taken away. Additional troops are said to have been called fromChina and the Kongpo area. Tibetans who go into town are being searched. MaleTibetans and youths are thoroughly searched, but they go a little easier on thewomen. They search their handbags but not their whole body. It is frighteningto see Lhasa entirely filled with armed forces. The license plates of Chinesearmored vehicles are covered in order to mask their [unit] identity."—Tibetan witness in Lhasa
"Thereis no peace in Karze city. As of yesterday, one person was killed and nine werebeaten and taken away. The families of those who were taken away have no hopeof seeing their relatives alive; they are just waiting for the bodies. However,the families have no regrets and believe that they have died for a good cause.Meanwhile, seven more Tibetans were arrested: Gyurme, Penpa, Dorje, Jamyang, Kunga,Chime Gonpo, and Namsa Wangden. No Tibetan is allowed to move freely near themain Karze County Center—only the People's Armed Police (PAP) can go there. Thelocal county government officials have no authority, and administrative controlhas been taken over by the PAP. Local people saw the arrival of 40 new vehiclesand two planes and estimate that close to 10,000 armed police are now here."—Tibetan witness in Karze
"TheTibetan students at the Maerkang Normal College—their homes and parents are inNgawa [Aba]. They heard some rumors and wanted to go back home. The schoolstopped them from going, saying that it would be safer on campus. I am not sureon which day the clash occurred. But there is a curfew in place on campus andfrom March 15 the students haven't been allowed to go home. When they are oncampus, their safety is assured. The school is concerned about people causingtrouble."—Han Chinese teacher at MaerkangNormal College, Maerkang county, Gansu province, interviewed by RFA's Mandarinservice
"Itis inconvenient for me to talk about the situation. I cannot reach my folksback home by phone. I kept calling but kept getting a busy signal and could notget through. I am deeply concerned about my family's well-being. I know nothingabout what's happening there. Communication channels are not working."—Tibetan student enrolled at the SouthwestUniversity for Nationalities in Chengdu, interviewed by RFA's Mandarin service
The World Community Cannot Turn a BlindEye, Rebiya Kadeer
"His Holiness the Dalai Lama has dedicated his entirelife to the peaceful promotion of legitimate aspirations of the Tibetan peoplefor cultural autonomy and survival," more
"Itis inconvenient for me to talk. My cell phone is under surveillance. I cannottell you if there have been protests on campus. It's inconvenient…"—Tibetan university student in Shanghai,interviewed by RFA's Mandarin service
"Allmajor thoroughfares leading to the Tibet Autonomous Region's office in Chengduare manned by riot police and also armed police sitting in cars waiting. Iwalked around the neighborhood and saw no fewer than 60 vehicles, includingminivans and cars, with tags indicating that they were from public security.All cars traveling toward the direction of the TAR office are subject toinspection. Car trunks are searched. The drivers must get out of the cars andshow their IDs."—Huang Xiaomin, a HanChinese activist in Chengdu, interviewed by RFA's Mandarin service
"UsingFree Gate, I was able to see on the Internet that in Lhasa protesting monkswere dealt with in a very rough manner, and that even tanks were mobilized. Ithink it was too much. I heard that people died. I used to work in areas with alot of Tibetans. I have known many ethnic minorities. I am especially fond ofTibetans. Let me give you an example. If I lack food and water, I can knock onthe door of any Tibetan home and they will take care of me. They will give mefood and shelter. This actually happened to me and five or six of my friends.If they really tried to cause trouble, it was most likely because there wassomething inappropriate about our policy. I call on our Tibetan friends not tohate all Han Chinese. I am deeply saddened by what I saw –tanks…Where there aretanks, bad things happen…"—Beijing-basedChinese caller to RFA's Mandarin-language Listener Hotline program
"Atotal of 18 dead bodies were confirmed in the Ngaba [Aba] protests. In Kirtimonastery alone, 15 bodies were brought in for final death-rites. Three bodieswere also confirmed in a neighboring nomadic area. There are many othermonasteries in the Ngaba area, and other bodies could have been brought tothese monasteries for final rites. So 18 deaths are confirmed for thisarea...They don't dare go to Chinese hospitals and are receiving treatment athome."—Tibetan witness account
What Asian listeners are saying
On our message boards, blogs, in emails and talk showsover the air, Asian listeners and Web readers react to Tibetan turmoil.
Fromthe Vietnamese message board:
Can RFA, please, explain for me: why none of the 700 newspapers in Vietnam hasthe stories on Tibetan unrest? What are they afraid of or are they waiting forVietnamese government's order? U Nguyen Thai - Saigon, March 15, 2008.
more
"Chinesepolice backed by the People's Armed Police [PAP] are raiding Tibetan houses inthe Lhasa area. They are looking for residential permits, and if anyone doesn'thave these permits they are taken away without explanation. Even those Tibetanswho have the permits, but who are suspected for any reason, are taken away. Forexample, around 10 p.m. on March 15, a group of police backed by the PAP beganraiding Tibetan houses. One family from Kham Tsawa Pasho was raided. The fatherKalsang Gyaltsen has two sons, Lochoe and Jampa, and a daughter. The daughterhad a residential permit, and the other family members had applied for permits,but these were still pending. So the Chinese police arrested the father and twosons and took them away. The daughter has no idea where they were taken. Thepolice searched the house and found 10,000 yuan, since the family were runninga small stall in the area ... The police did not listen to their pleas and tookthe money ... The daughter has been left in the house all alone with no moneyand does not know where her father and brothers are detained. She is extremelyworried and concerned about their welfare. In the same courtyard there wasanother family from Kham Dege in Sichuan. The father's name is Tsonyi, and healso has two sons. That same night, their house was raided and they were alsoarrested. It is said that all six members of these families are innocent anddid not participate in the protests. As policy, the Chinese are arrestingalmost all young Tibetans—both male and female. Nobody knows where they aretaken, and if anyone tries to leave their own courtyard they can be arrested.There is no way to ask about or search for family members. Nobody knows if theyare being killed, detained, or beaten, or even if they are alive or dead, andthere is no way to find out. So there is virtual terror in Lhasa."—Jampel from Canada, who called his relatives inLhasa
"OnMarch 18, around 2:05 p.m., a protest took place in Karze [in Chinese, Ganzi]town, Sichuan province. ...Both monks and laypersons took part. It was led bytwo people, Pema Dechen and Ngoga. The protesters shouted 'Long live the DalaiLama,' and 'Free Tibet,' and they distributed leaflets. Several hundredparamilitary police were stationed there to block them… When the protests wenton, the Chinese authorities arrested 10 protesters. Some of those who werearrested are Pema Dechen, Gonpo, Tseten Phuntsog, Lobsang, Zangpo, Palden,Gonpo, and so on. One person, Ngoga, who led the demonstration, was killed bygunfire. The other nine were dragged away, and they looked injured, but itwasn't clear... Now all Karze is filled with Chinese police and paramilitary.Not one Tibetan is allowed to go out or move in the downtown area."—Tibetan source in Karze [Ganzi], Sichuan province"More than 200 monks from Dargye monastery came out to protest, but a Chinesespy informed the Chinese authorities. So when the protesters were marchingtowards Karze downtown, the Chinese police stopped them on the way. The monksprotested, and one monk was killed by gunfire."—Tibetan source in Karze [Ganzi], Sichuan province
"Yesterdayand the day before, students from our school [the Tibet Institute ofNationalities in Xianyang, Shanxi province] shouted lots of protest slogans.The university residence building has seven floors and most of the slogans werecoming from the third to the seventh floors. Students were throwing thermosflasks and other articles from the top of the building down to the street.There are around 1,000 Tibetans students in the school. Today the schoolauthorities called all the students to a big meeting, where they told us thatanyone involved in the incident must submit a written confession and warnedthat those who are party cadres will lose their party membership. There is nopolice presence at the school so far. However, we are told at the meeting thatthis whole incident will be reported to the provincial government, and theywill take all the necessary action."—Tibetanstudent at the Tibet Institute of Nationalities in Xianyang, Shanxi province
"Itold you earlier about a man who died from a gunshot. Yesterday, his family hadplanned to take his body away for a funeral, but then the police came to theirhouse and seized the dead body. The police told the family that they are takingaway all the dead bodies to conduct post-mortem and other investigation. Theywere also told that all the dead bodies in the recent unrest will be crematedtogether, and that prior to the cremation, the individual families will becontacted and that they will be allowed to pay a visit to the cremation siteafter the cremation. With this, the dead body was forcibly taken away with thefamily powerless to do or say anything."—Tibetaneyewitness in Lhasa
"Lhasain general is under heavy security. There's a lot of cleaning up going on afterall the recent destruction. Within the city, people are able to go around withtheir city identity cards but anyone from outside such as pilgrims, ortourists, is barred from entering the city or leaving the city if they arehere. I came on a pilgrimage and for the last four days I holed up in myguesthouse, not able to travel or take a walk outside."—Tibetan source in Lhasa
"Morethan 300 Tibetans protested in Lithang on March 18. While leading thedemonstration, a girl [known as Appa Bumo] carried a picture of the Dalai Lamaand a khata [scarf] in her hands. She was arrested by the Chinese securitypersonnel. There is a heavy presence of Chinese military and restrictions havebeen imposed in the area. All the news media are blocked. Schools, offices, andshops are closed."—Tibetan witness inLithang
Followingare interviews with Tibetan and Chinese sources on Monday, March 17:
"Todayis better, so I can go out. Many people have come out to buy food, too. Butthere are many armed police standing guard on the street and checking theidentification of some passers-by. There are many police on the street. Thelocal government hasn't asked us foreigners to leave Lhasa, but if you want togo, the Foreign Office will help you."—HongKong businesswoman in Lhasa
"Thereare about 2,000 students in the Tibetan studies department of the CentralUniversity for Nationalities in Beijing—about 40 of them staged a silentprotest to mourn the people killed or injured in other parts of Tibet. Thepolice came in, and they are being held now in their classrooms."—Protest participant, Tibetan, in Beijing
"TheLhasa People's Hospital has been damaged. The local Tibetans suspect it wasdamaged by the Chinese so that injured Tibetans couldn't receive treatment.Tibetans who are taken to Lhasa hospitals are now being turned away."—Tibetan source who declined to be identified
"Monksfrom a local temple had a clash with armed police, and there were casualtiesfrom the armed police."—Tibetan residentin Ngaba [Aba], Sichuan province
"Riotserupted in town and in rural areas, and there were many police on the streets,but I was not worried about my safety."—Chineseresident in Ngaba [Aba], Sichuan province
"Touristswere ordered to leave the Ngaba [Aba] area. Three groups of foreign touristswho just arrived here were told to leave immediately."—Chinese hotel worker in Ngaba, Sichuan province
"OnSaturday afternoon, about 400-500 monks took to the streets. They smashedwindows and left in less than an hour. There were about 2,000 soldiers whostayed to guard the area."—Chinesewitness who lives near a temple at the junction between Gansu and Sichuan
"Althoughthe scale of protests was small, they still continue…There were about 1,000armed police stationed in each county, Machu [Maqu] and Luchu [Luqu]."—Chinese witness, describing ongoing protests thatbegan March 14
"Becauseof riots in Tibet, local authorities has took measures to prevent protests fromtaking place here. There were about 200 armed police in our county."—Chinese resident in Tongren county, Qinghaiprovince
"Noforeigners are being allowed into the region."—Hotel worker in Tongren county, Qinghai province
"Wecould not find hotels …in Xiahe, Gansu province. We were expelled from Xiaheafter we finished our coverage. We tried to enter Xiahe again, but we weren'tallowed. Our IDs were carefully examined by roadside checkpoints. The only roadleading to Xiahe was blocked. All vehicles had to stop for inspection.Passengers' IDs and vehicles plate numbers were checked and registered.Journalists couldn't sneak in. All vehicles leaving Gansu were also carefullyexamined just as they entered the province. There was a backup of vehiclesleaving Gansu."—British journalist
"They[the police] are deleting all the photos they find of the riots. They won't letpeople bring these things out."—Tourguide, Gansu province
Followingare excerpted interviews from Tibetan sources who spoke with RFA on Sunday,March 16, 2008: "Just now eight bodies have arrived inKirti monastery."—Source at Kirtimonastery, Ngaba [in Chinese, Aba] prefecture, Sichuan province
"FourTibetans were killed by sniper fire while they were marching near Kirtimonastery… Then a little later, another three were killed. They were shot froma distance. Before they were shot, the protesters had smashed the windows attwo police posts....There looked like 5,000 to 6,000 protesters....The names ofthe three people killed later are Tsezin, Norbu, and Lobsang Tashi."—Tibetan protester from Ngaba [in Chinese, Aba]prefecture, Sichuan province
"OnMarch 15, there were protests in Kham Tawo ([in Chinese, Daofu] in Ganziprefecture. Suddenly 10 PAP trucks arrived…Kham Sershul monastery wassurrounded by PAP. They are patrolling streets and randomly checking IDs—thesituation is very tense."—Tibetan witnessin the Kham region, Karze [in Chinese, Ganzi], Sichuan province
"FiveTibetans succumbed to injuries at the nunnery hospital in Lhasa—it's theTsangkhug nunnery in Lhasa. Two Tibetans who were at the hospital were injuredand they complained their legs were broken. The body of a young boy is stilllying here unclaimed. Several other dead bodies were brought, and many of themwere claimed by relatives."—Source insideTsangkhug nunnery, Lhasa
"Ihaven't been back to my house for two days now. There are troops all over, andwe are completely locked inside. I have no information about what is happeningoutside."—Tibetan resident of Lhasa
"TheChinese authorities in Lhasa have started arresting Tibetans and searching fromhouse to house. Official warnings were issued to all Tibetan residents of Lhasathat all Tibetan houses will be searched for photos of the Dalai Lama and forTibetans who were involved in the riots. They were warned that no one shouldattempt to stop the searches and arrests, and people are not allowed to gatherin groups when arrests are made. The TAR [Tibet Autonomous Region] governmentissued an order to all government departments that Tibetan government workersin different parts of China should report back to Lhasa within three days—theyare needed to secure TAR railway lines. Failure to report in will result in'consequences.'..." —Witness from Lhasa
"Tibetanstudents in the Tibetan language department of North West National Universityof Lanzhou, in Gansu, staged a peaceful demonstration on the school grounds.More than 1,000 Tibetan students took part, and Tibetan students from otherdepartments tried to join in but were blocked. They declared that their protestwas peaceful, and they urged the Chinese authorities to stop their crackdown onTibetans in Lhasa and other Tibetan areas. They also expressed solidarity withthose Tibetans who protested in Lhasa, Labrang, and others outside Tibet. Theyhad a banner that read, 'We stand together with Tibetans, for glorious democracyand life."—Witness from the Amdo region
Followingare excerpted interviews from Tibetan sources who spoke with RFA on Saturday,March 15, 2008:
"Iam in the Lhasa area. There was shooting today. Many Tibetans who were dead andbarely alive were collected at the TAR [Tibet Autonomous Region] SecurityOffice area, and I heard from a reliable source that there were 67 bodies. Somewere alive and most were dead when they were brought in... This included maleand female, and I don't have the details… But it's confirmed that there were intotal about 67 bodies collected at this place. I cannot tell you the source ofmy information, but 67 bodies were seen by my source. It was officiallyannounced by TAR officials that martial law was imposed. Right now I can hearshootings. We saw many tanks. Sometimes they fire in the air to threaten theTibetans. At some places, like the Karma Kunsel area [near Lhasa], they arefiring right now. Every Tibetan is stopped and their IDs are checked. EvenTibetan government workers are checked, but the Chinese are free to movearound. Many Tibetans who were arrested were taken toward the Toelung area andseveral other jails in different parts of Lhasa. Even in Penpo, six monks werearrested last night and today there were demonstrations and Chinese shops wereburnt. I think they might impose these restrictions for at least another sevento eight days. If they are not allowed to move around, the Tibetans won't getfood supplies, and the Tibetans are already suffering shortages of food. Rightnow the Chinese authorities are cracking down, but there are indications thatthis could spread further in rural areas. …There is no indication of anyorganization planning these demonstrations. It was a spontaneous response ofTibetans, and they jumped into the rally. They were shouting 'Long live theDalai Lama' and 'Independence for Tibet,' and burning Chinese flags. Right nowI was told that Tibetan monks in Samye monastery in Lokha are protesting too."—Source in Lhasa
"Todaythere was a huge demonstration in Labrang. It was started at 11:45 a.m..Yesterday there were roughly 3,000 to 4,000 but today is different. There aremany thousands shouting 'Long live the Dalai Lama,' 'Tibet is independent,' andso on. They marched towards local government offices and damaged severalwindows and a big demonstration is going on."—Sourceat Labrang monastery, Amdo
"OnMarch 15, there were two demonstrations in the Lithang area. During themorning, the nomads from Othok Nyakchuka [home of detained lama Tenzin DelekRinpoche] rose up and demonstrated for quite awhile. One of the main leaders inthe area was detained. Then on the same day the nomads from the same area as[jailed nomad] Ronggyal Adrak also demonstrated and shouted for quite some timeand one monk was arrested. So the atmosphere in Lithang is very tense. TheTibetans were seen gathering in groups in Lithang town and planning something.At the same time, government officials are also planning to sabotage Tibetanplans. It is extremely difficult to get through. About 1,000 Tibetanindependence flyers were distributed in Sershul county of Ganzi prefecture.Both Lithang and Sershul are in Ganzi prefecture."—Source in Lithang area, Kham
"TheChinese authorities are locking up as many Tibetan protesters as possible indifferent jails. Many of them are detained in a jail behind the Potala Palaceand four other prisons in the Lhasa area. The Tibetan protestors were locked inall these jail like animals. When we contacted them this morning, no killingwas reported—this could be due to international pressure. It is difficult togive an exact figure for a death toll, but if we total up the deaths fromdifferent information, more than 100 Tibetans were killed. As of Saturdaymorning, the Chinese authorities are imposing martial law and arresting anddetaining any Tibetan who comes out in the street and dumping them in jail.There is no sign of calm and stability in Lhasa at this point of time."—Source in Lhasa
"WhenI called my contact this morning, several hundred Tibetan youths from Bora,Achok, Tsu, Gaja, Sang-kha, and other areas gathered at Labrang weredemonstrating. There were several thousand police and PAP [People's ArmedPolice] deployed in the area but so far there was no incident of firing at thecrowd. However, several tear-gas shells were fired into the crowd. My contactdidn't see any ransacking in the area but due to smoke from tear-gas, the wholearea is clouded and it's difficult to get a full view of the whole area and anyincidents. It is a fact that the number of protesters increased from yesterday.A rough estimate is over 3,000 [at Labrang monastery]. Tibetans are gatheringfrom different directions and increasing the strength of the demonstrations.The demonstrators are shouting, 'Long live the Dalai Lama,' 'Release thePanchen Lama,' and 'Start the Sino-Tibetan peace dialogue.' Some were shouting,'Independence for Tibet.' Since there is no open leadership, different groupsare raising different slogans and most of them are saying 'Long live the DalaiLama.'"—Source in Lhasa
"Todaythere are army [troops] everywhere. There is no way to go and come. We areconfined to our own homes. On Chinese media and TV, they are talking of only 10Tibetans killed—and those killed were those who committed crimes. According tothem, all this is the work of 'the Dalai Lama clique.' Right now, Lhasa city seems to be quiet, without incident, as no-oneis allowed to move about, but there have been some clashes between Chinese andTibetans on the outskirts of Lhasain rural areas."—Source in Lhasa
Earlier,on Friday, March 14, a Tibetan witness who joined the Lhasa protests reported as follows:
“Todaywhen the Tibetans were demonstrating, many Tibetans were killed. We Tibetanshad no weapons to fight back. When the Tibetans were gathered in front of theJokhang [temple], the Chinese fired at us. I have personally seen more 100Tibetans killed when the Chinese fired at the Tibetan crowd. It was the Chinesearmy who fired and that happened in Lhasaand I personally witnessed the tragedy. Many of those killed were youngTibetans, both boys and girls. ...It started around 10 a.m. ... Young kids,youths, male, female, and old, Tibetans of all ages were taken away to jail.The Tibetans who participated in the protests were from the whole Lhasa area. When I lookedback all the Chinese shops were destroyed. I think not one Chinese shop isintact in the Barkhor area. All kinds of things were piled up on the main roadand burned. Many vehicles were burned and destroyed. When I look right now, Ican still see smoke. The Tibetans collected all the dead bodies in front of theJokhang [temple] and offered prayers, and scarves. Those family members whoserelatives were among those killed took their bodies away. None of my familymembers are among the killed but I was almost killed too, and many bodieslooked familiar. If anybody moves around in town they get arrested and killed.I think the number of Tibetans killed could not be less than 100, as I reportedearlier. Those who are dead sacrificed their lives for 6 million Tibetans. Mydisappointment is that we were not armed and the Chinese fired on unarmedTibetans. The Chinese threw some poisonous gas and that gas made the Tibetansdazed and blurred. Then they were arrested and taken away. I also saw tanks inthe area too, though I did not see many, but they were sent to threaten us.Right now Lhasa is quiet but I still see black smoke in Lhasa town. It was theChinese army who fired on us.”