Human Rights Centre condemns harsh prison term to four Tibetans

Wednesday, 21 November 2007, 10:10 a.m.

Ronggye A'drak was sentenced to eight years imprisonment and deprivation of political rights for four years, according to confirmed received by TCHRD. He called for His Holiness the Dalai Lama's return to Tibet during an annual Lithang horse race festival in Kardze, in southeastern Tibet in August this year.

The other three Tibetans were also jailed for terms ranging from three to ten years for spying for overseas organisations and subversion.

Among them, Adruk Lopoe, a nephew of Ronggye A'drak received the heaviest sentence of ten years' imprisonment on charges of "colluding with foreign separatist force to split the country and distributing political pamphlets."

Kunkhen, an artiste who was arbitrarily arrested on 22 August by Public Security Bureau (PSB) officials in Lithang for unknown reason was sentenced to nine years of imprisonment on charges of "carrying out splittist activities. A third, named Lothok, was given a three-year sentence.

TCHRD questioned the integrity of Chinese judicial court in slapping harsh sentence to Tibetans for expressing their basic freedom of expression.

It expressed grave concern over the fate of the four Tibetans and seeks immediate intervention by the governments and the international community.

It urged Chinese authorities to give four Tibetans fair re-trial with adequate legal representation and follow all domestic and international legal norms.

  (www.tibet.net is the official website of the Central Tibetan Administration of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.)

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