The Chinese police have arrested a Tibetan in Nagchu for possessing photos of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Karma Samdup from Sernye district was found with photos of the Dalai Lama in his car and another that he wore as an amulet pendant. Photos of the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader, who resides in India since 1959, are banned in Tibet, and like every Tibetan earlier found with his photos or videos, Karma too was charged with separatism. The photos were forcibly taken away, according to a source, who observed that Karma’s arrest took place amid growing restrictions and inspection in Tibet. His current whereabouts remain unknown, according to Tibet Watch. The heightened surveillance in Tibet is part of a campaign launched in late June by the newly appointed Minister of Public Security, Wang Xiaohong. Within a few days of taking office, he launched the “Hundred Days Action” to crack down on any form of what Beijing sees as dissent. The campaign is seen as a pre-emptive security measure to suppress possible protests in Tibet ahead of the 20th Party Congress meeting, due to be held in late October.
