Previously, authorities detained them for 11 months on the same offence.
-by Radio Free Asia
China has sentenced four Tibetans from Sertar county in Sichuan province to two years in prison each for engaging in religious activities — the second time they have been arrested and given jail time, said two Tibetans with knowledge of the situation.
The four men — Gyalo, Tsedho, Bhamo and Kari, each going by just one name — are being held at Yaknga Prison in Sichuan province, according to the sources.
“In September when they were sentenced to two years in prison, none of their families were informed,” said a Tibetan who lives in exile. “Neither are the families aware that the court has issued this judgment.”
Authorities previously arrested the four men on Aug. 24, 2022, for engaging in religious activities such as sang-sol, a purification or cleansing of spiritual pollution or blockages, and reciting prayers for the longevity and wellbeing of Tibetan Buddhist religious leaders, said another Tibetan source who lives in exile.
They were detained until July 2023, when they were released, though it is not known why they were freed.
It is not unusual for Chinese authorities in the Tibet Autonomous Region and Tibetan-populated areas of western provinces like Sichuan to arrest, detain and abuse Buddhist monks, nuns and others on account of their religious practices, without giving them trials. Click here to read more.