Two Tibetan Women Shot By Security Personnel

By International Campaign for Tibet

A day after the Olympics opening ceremony, at around 4.30 p.m. local time, two Tibetan women in their twenties were shot by security personnel as they went to a shop in the town of Ngaba (Chinese: Aba), Ngaba Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan province. The two women are Sonam Wangmo, aged 22, from Lower Ngawa Sezo and Tranyeyeng, aged 28, from Gyalrang.

One was shot in the leg and the other sustained an injury to her hand and they are still receiving medical treatment. According to three Tibetan sources in contact with exiled Tibetans, it appears that the women were visiting the shop to recharge their mobile phones, and may have been shot because they were in the street at a time of restrictions linked to the Olympic Games and in the aftermath of protests in the region.

A Tibetan source told ICT: "[The source] heard four or five gun shots while he was at home with family and friends. He wanted to go out into the street to see what was going on. But his family and friends advised against that because the situation was obviously dangerous and, in addition, strict restrictions had been imposed upon the movement of Tibetans since a few days before the Olympics began. He, along with his family and friends, performed some prayers at home."

Sources in the area say that restaurants and shops are closed before 7 pm and no one is allowed to go out of their houses after that. People are even frightened to go out in the daytime. Monks are ordered to stay in their monasteries, which are surrounded by armed troops, according to various reports.