DHARAMSHALA, June 20: A Tibetan monk has been tortured to death by the Chinese police in Nyagrong (Chinese: Xinlong) County, Kardze (Chinese: Ganzi) eastern Tibet.

According to the Dharamshala based rights group Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, Karwang, 36, a monk at the Nyagrong Monastery, was detained mid-May on charges of putting up pro-independence posters on the walls of a Chinese government building in the region.

“Karwang was taken to Dartsedo (Chinese: Kangding) County where he was detained for around eight days,” TCHRD said. “The authorities tried to force him to confess to having put up the posters but Karwang denied.”

Karwang was then beaten and tortured as a result of which he died in detention a few days later.

“Karwang’s relatives in Nyagrong County got a call from Dartsedo police telling them to come to collect Karwang’s body,” TCHRD said. “Seven relatives of Karwang, including his uncle and brothers, went to Dartsedo and came back with the body, accompanied by armed police, in few police vehicles.”

Karwang’s parents had passed away several years ago. His body was later taken to Serta Monastery for funeral.

The exact dates of Karwang's arrest and death are not known.

China, in its second National Human Rights Action Plan (2012-2015) released this month had vowed to “eliminate” the use of torture and violence in extracting confessions from detainees.

“All confessions by suspects and defendants extorted by torture or other illegal methods, as well as testimonies and statements of witnesses or victims collected by violence, threat or other illegal means will be eliminated and not used in working out the verdict,” the action plan stated.

Arrests continue in Serthar

According to the Dharamshala based Central Tibetan Administration, Samdup, 31, was arrested by Chinese Public Security Bureau on June 13 in Serthar Dzong, Amdo in north-eastern Tibet.

The reason for his arrest and his current whereabouts and well being are not known.

Serthar has witnessed massive protests against China’s continued occupation of Tibet in recent months. Scores of unarmed Tibetan demonstrations were killed and wounded earlier this year when Chinese security personnel opened indiscriminate fire on a large protest in Serthar.