Gendun Rinchen, Lhasa’s best known tourist guide, was arrested on 13 May 1993, reportedly because he intended to hand some letters regarding human rights to a group of visiting European Community delegates. His neighbour, Lobsang Yonten, a former monk in his sixties, had been arrested two days earlier. On 25 May the Chinese Foreign Ministry claimed they were arrested for stealing state secrets and threatening national security. Tseten Dorje, reportedly a member of the Religious Affairs Bureau, and Damchoe Pemo, were also arrested in May 1993. The whereabouts of the four are unknown, but it is believed they were arrested by the An Quan Bu, State Security Bureau, and are being held in Seitru detention centre. In 1990 Sonam Dolkar was held there incommunicado and brutally tortured.
