DHARAMSALA, October 17 - A Tibetan woman named Kalsang from Tsala township in Driru was arrested by Chinese police on October 11, 2013, a Tibetan source with reliable local contacts said. The Chinese police arrested her from Dejang Hotel on Nagchu highway around 11 AM last Friday.
The Chinese authorities allege that Kalsang had expressed "anti China" sentiments in social networking app WeChat and kept "banned pictures of the exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama" in her cellular phone. They also allege that she has stored banned Tibetan songs in her phone.
Her relatives who went to demand justification for her arrest were turned away by the authorities who said they would not comment on anything until a decision is reached regarding the allegations against her. The authorities told her family and relatives that they did not know where she is currently.
The situation in Driru is still tense with the authorities strictly monitoring all communication lines and transport in Driru.
Tensions escalated after Chinese authorities in Diru forced Tibetans in several villages to hoist the Chinese national flag atop their houses days before China's national day on October 1.
Sources say 4 Tibetans have died due to gunshots fired on October 8 but it could not be verified.
WeChat's popularity has grown dramatically since its launch in 2011. For Tibetans in Tibet and those in exile, WeChat has become the most used mode of communication through its walkie-talkie style messaging. However, activists and experts fear that the app's voice-messaging service enables security officials to monitor users' movements in real time and access other information shared via the app.
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