By Tsering Dhundup
DHARAMSHALA, Aug 22: Chinese authorities have reportedly arrested a Tibetan woman for allegedly spreading rumours about the recently closed Ragya Sherig Norbuling school.
Tibet Times, a Tibetan media based in Dharamshala reported that a woman named Zomkyi, a relative of a former student of Sherig Norbu School was arrested by Nagchu County police. She was accused of spreading rumours about the closure of Sherig Norbu School on social media. Her whereabouts since her arrest remained unknown.
A Tibetan source from Tibet informed TT that approximately one week before the closure of Ragya Sherig School, Zomkyi was detained by authorities for several days on charges related to an argument with local government officials. Additionally, on June 14, she received an order from the local police station restricting her movement. The source also indicated that Zomkyi typically showed disinterest in political education.
The Ragya Gangjong Sherig Norbuling school in the so called Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture was closed by Chinese authorities on July 14. The private institution, established in 1994 by Ragya Jigmey Gyalsten, was shut down, ending its 30-year operation as a Tibetan educational institution. The closure of the school led to expressions of disappointment and discussion among Tibetans both inside and outside Tibet.
Months before the closure of the school, on April 12 the school encountered multiple lawsuits and pressure from the Communist Party Secretary of Golok and other officials, who had been planning to close the school for several years. A student association, formed in 2018 to preserve the Tibetan language, was also sued for using the jewel and lion emblems from the banned Tibetan National Flag as their logo.
The school’s founder, Jigme Gyaltsen, was accused of corruption and accepting bribes in his roles as chairman of the Snow Land Pastoral Association and the Qinghai-Tibet Trade Association. These charges were brought to trial, and on June 28, Jigme Gyaltsen was acquitted of all charges.
