Over in the Salween River valley [Hsu Christians have lately been suffering bitter persecution at the Jnands of unscrupulous petty officials Jmoved by most unworthy motives. With patience and fortitude comparable to that of the Christians of New Testament times, they have endured unflinchingly beatings and Lioprisonment, They have been cut with swords, and upon refusing to drink wine, they were forced to rink liquor mixed with the blood fof chickens.
Some of them were robbed of their few earthly belongings by their lunboly persecutors, and against some there were levied fines greater tha they were able (o pay. Those who had been Christiane longest were given the heaviest fines, a smaller me was assessed against those who had been converted a shorter time, jand the lightest fine was levied against the newer converts. Although threatened with severer punishment unless they renounced their faith and threw away their Bibles and hymn spooks, none of them were willing to consider their faith something to be Tightly renounced that they might thereby win favour and save a few silver dollars.
Tibetan Activity But litle has happened along the Sino-Tibetan border in recent months. The Bong Da Chang Tibetans, who last spring fled to Batang for protection, are still there. Recently the [Chinese General Ma sent them forth fo punish a notorious robber tribe, Ube Ba Ba Tibetane, situated just to the north-west of Batang. The latter tribe has from time to time in past years made life miserable for Batang people during their night raids. On this occasion they were thoroughly routed and punished, being driven {from their homes to the mountains, jad their livestock and personal reflects were taken as loot by the Bong Da Chang.
ight stages north of Batang is the Jtivetan city of Derge, known as Bel [Ly to the Chinese. During the border warfare two years ago, that city fell Into the hands of the Chinese, who jeecording to the subsequently ratified treaty were to continue holding it, and all other territory lying east of the "Yangtze River, Tibet was to Ihave all Tying west of the Yangtze, thereby gaining some territory in the Batang ared, and thus partially compensating for the loss of Derge. [in the same year they had taken Yen Chin with its rich salt wells from the Chinese.
In the fighting at Kan Tze some ten days to the northeast of Batanz the big Ta Chin Gémba lamasery }was burned, Now Tibet is no longer willing to abide by the terms of the 1032 treaty, and the Lhassa govern ment has accordingly sent an official known as the Dren Dung Dah Ben to Derge to negotiate with the Chinese. On behalf of his _government he asks that Derge be retuned to Tibet, that Batang, originally in Tibet, be returned to them, and that permission be granted to rebuild {upon the site of the former Ta Chin Gémba Lamasery. Also, Tibet intends to keep the Yen Chin salt wells And, unless China agrees, Tibet intends to resume hostilities
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.