Arbitrary Detention and Life Imprisonment Sentences Continue in TibetFriday, 17 October 2008, 4:47 p.m.

Arbitrary detention and life imprisonment sentences continue in Tibet.According to reliable sources, for the past one-month arbitrary arrest, detention, disappearance and jail sentences of the peaceful demonstrators continue in various parts of Tibet. On 23rd September 2008 sentence for the seven monks from the Gonjo Thangkya Monastery was announced. Monk Gyurmey Dhondup aged 28 was given life sentence. Dorjee Wangyal aged 31 with 15 years, Kunsang Tenzin aged 20 with 15 years, Kunga Phuntsok aged 19 with 10 years, Tsering Nyima aged 17 with 10 years, Thinley Wangyal aged 21 with 5 years, Rinchen Gyaltsen aged 28 with 10 years, and Tsewang Yeshi aged 20 with 9 years of sentence were announced. Monk Kalsang Tsering is also reported to have sentenced to life imprisonmentOn 23rd Sept. 2008, in Thangkor township of Amdo region, a layman named Bakula was sentenced one year and two months imprisonment and was taken to Chandu labour camp on 24th September. Four monks from Khenpa Lung Monastery namely Jamdrub was sentenced with 4 years and Tenzin Gyaltsen, Jamyang Lodoe and Kunyang were sentenced with 3 years of imprisonment.Simultaneously, on 14th May 2008 dozens of teenage monks from Woeser monastery in Markham county were detained on charges of “obstructing the Olympic” and “damaging national stability”. Among them Tenzin Tsangpa aged 19 was sentenced 4 years, Lobsang Gyaltso aged 19 was sentenced 5 years and Tenphel aged 19 was sentenced 8 years. They were alleged to have connection with a series of blast during massive peaceful protest in the region earlier this year in the month of March but the Tibetan labourers have claimed to have bought the explosives with the due permission from the relevant authorities for construction purposes. Since monk Kunchok Sangpo aged 17, Kunchok Zoepa aged 17 of Taktsang Lhamo Kriti monastery of Dzoge district, Ngaba region and from Drengva Sumdo Monastery Thayae aged 17 were all less than 18 years to sentence imprisonment, hence they were sent to re-education labour camp in Menyang, Sichuan County.From a detention center in Ngapa Kakhog district, Kaltson aged 23 a monk from Trotsek monastery was sentenced 2 years, Rabten aged 18, Thopa-kyap aged 29, Tsepyul aged 26, Tsultrim aged 26 and Tenzin Tsepo aged 20 were sentenced with one year and nine months. They were alleged in bringing down the red flag from the top of the main County Administration Center.Around 14th September the nuns of Karze Drakgo Samten Ling Nunnery namely Tsering Tso aged 27 and Urgyen Lhamo aged 34 sisters were alleged to have lead the Peaceful demonstration in splitting the nation were given two years sentence from Karze Intermediate People’s Court.In view of the ongoing critical situation inside Tibet, we urge the United Nations, the International communities and organizations to call upon the leadership of Peoples’ Republic of China to urgently implement the following: 1.    To immediately send an independent international fact-finding mission into Tibet 2.    To allow unfettered access to free press in whole of Tibet 3.    To immediately stop the brutal arrest, detention and killing in the whole of Tibet 4.    To immediately release all the innocent arrested and imprisoned Tibetans 5.    To immediately stop the unfair trail and unjustified conviction of the        peaceful demonstrators.