Report: Chinese Court Announces Death Sentence to One Tibetan
[Friday, 26 February 2010, 11:42 p.m.]
Dharamshala: A
Chinese court in Tibet has handed down a two-year suspended death
penalty to one Tibetan, and life imprisonment to another on alleged
charges of inciting separatism and disturbing social order, a human
rights watchdog based in Dharamsala reported.
Chinese court in Tibet has handed down a two-year suspended death
penalty to one Tibetan, and life imprisonment to another on alleged
charges of inciting separatism and disturbing social order, a human
rights watchdog based in Dharamsala reported.
The
Karze Intermediate People’s Court sentenced 28-year-old Pema Yeshi to
death with two year reprieve on 17 November 2009. While Sonam Gonpo,
aged 24 and Tsewang Gyatso alias Tsok Tsok, 32, received life
imprisonment and 16 years jail term respectively. All of them belonged
to Thangkyi Township, Nyarong County, the Tibetan Centre for Human
Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) said citing reliable sources.
Karze Intermediate People’s Court sentenced 28-year-old Pema Yeshi to
death with two year reprieve on 17 November 2009. While Sonam Gonpo,
aged 24 and Tsewang Gyatso alias Tsok Tsok, 32, received life
imprisonment and 16 years jail term respectively. All of them belonged
to Thangkyi Township, Nyarong County, the Tibetan Centre for Human
Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) said citing reliable sources.
The
news of their arrest was reported in the Ganzi Daily, the local
official newspaper dated 18 March 2009. According to the report, “three
Tibetans accused were arrested on 11 March 2009 under suspicion of
pasting and distributing pamphlets calling for Tibet independence on
roads of Thangkyi Township, Nyarong County and setting fire to the
Thangkyi Township government building causing damages worth around
200,000 yuan to the government on 28 February 2009.”
news of their arrest was reported in the Ganzi Daily, the local
official newspaper dated 18 March 2009. According to the report, “three
Tibetans accused were arrested on 11 March 2009 under suspicion of
pasting and distributing pamphlets calling for Tibet independence on
roads of Thangkyi Township, Nyarong County and setting fire to the
Thangkyi Township government building causing damages worth around
200,000 yuan to the government on 28 February 2009.”
According
to sources, for the next five months since their arrest, information on
their whereabouts and conditions remained completely unknown to their
family members. The family members came to know about their detention
at Chengdu Public Security Bureau (PSB) Detention Centre only around
August last year five months after their arrests.
to sources, for the next five months since their arrest, information on
their whereabouts and conditions remained completely unknown to their
family members. The family members came to know about their detention
at Chengdu Public Security Bureau (PSB) Detention Centre only around
August last year five months after their arrests.
The family members were informed by the local officials about their court verdict only around 10 December 2009.
It
can be well presumed that the accused were completely denied even the
basic legal rights guaranteed under the Chinese laws as circumstances
leading towards their indictment points to a secret trial with no
representation of their choice, TCHRD said.
can be well presumed that the accused were completely denied even the
basic legal rights guaranteed under the Chinese laws as circumstances
leading towards their indictment points to a secret trial with no
representation of their choice, TCHRD said.
Both Sonam Gonpo and Tsewang Gyatso work as cook at the Thangkyi Primary School in Thangkyi Township, Nyarong County.
They
are currently known to be detained at a PSB Detention Centre in Deyang
City in Karze, whereas Pema Yeshi, a farmer from Thangkyi township
sentenced to two years suspended death sentence is known to be detained
at Dartsedo PSB Detention Centre in Tibet’s Kham Province.
are currently known to be detained at a PSB Detention Centre in Deyang
City in Karze, whereas Pema Yeshi, a farmer from Thangkyi township
sentenced to two years suspended death sentence is known to be detained
at Dartsedo PSB Detention Centre in Tibet’s Kham Province.
The
three were actively involved in the “Farming Boycott Movement” and “No
Losar” movement undertaken by Tibetans inside Tibet last year to mourn
the death of Tibetans and to show solidarity with other Tibetans who
continued to remain in prison, the rights group said.
three were actively involved in the “Farming Boycott Movement” and “No
Losar” movement undertaken by Tibetans inside Tibet last year to mourn
the death of Tibetans and to show solidarity with other Tibetans who
continued to remain in prison, the rights group said.
