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Chinese authorities have reportedly enforced extensive security measures in the Lower Zako area of Ganzi (Kardze) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Kham, the hometown of late Tibetan independence activist Lobga Rangzen, according to a member of the Sino-Tibet dialogue platform Lhasa Spring, who spoke anonymously due to security concerns, as cited by Phayul.
Since early July, personnel from China's National Security and Public Security agencies have maintained a significant presence in the region. Residents' movements and communications have reportedly been placed under strict restrictions, leaving the township under close surveillance. Local people are said to be living under constant monitoring and fear amid the ongoing security clampdown, according to Phayul. Earlier this month, Lobga Rangzen died after setting himself on fire outside the United Nations Headquarters in New York. A Tibetan refugee living in New York, he worked as a taxi driver. He had fled Tibet to India in 1992, where he later joined Ganden Monastery in southern India to pursue monastic studies. His family continues to live in Tibet. According to the report, security personnel from China's National Security and Public Security agencies entered the area soon after Rangzen's self-immolation on July 2. Since then, the village has remained under heightened security, with authorities reportedly imposing strict controls on residents to prevent any possible unrest. "The area has been tightly controlled," the source was quoted as saying by Phayul. "We are trying to establish contact with them." The source further said that widespread fear among local residents has made it extremely difficult to gather information about Lobga Rangzen's family and relatives. "We don't know what has happened to his family," the source said. "People are too afraid to visit them. They have told me they don't even dare call them because they are being guarded and monitored by National Security." The reported security measures are consistent with a pattern frequently highlighted by human rights groups, which say Chinese authorities often increase surveillance and impose restrictions on the families and hometowns of Tibetans involved in political activism abroad. Although the exact circumstances of Lobga Rangzen's family could not be independently confirmed, sources told Phayul that the area remains under heavy security, with travel and communication continuing to face severe restrictions. (ANI)
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