Villagers in anguish pray for release of a Buddhist abbot held in detention since May
-by Tibet Watch, 23 December 2024
A leader of a Tibetan village has died after six months of brutal torture, Tibet Watch has learned a month after his passing.
The village leader of Ponkor village, Gonpo Namgyal, died on 18 November at his home just two days after Golog Prefecture police released him from custody. Extensive burns on his body were seen during his cremation at Traling Monastery, which a source described were signs of repeated administration of high-voltage electric shock. Gonpo was only in his 40s.
Villagers in anguish have since been praying for the release of another local leader, Abbot Tenpa Dhargyal of Shangtoe Monastery, who is known to be highly respected by the late Khenchen Jigme Phuntsok, founder of the renowned Buddhist academy of Larung Gar.
Abbot Tenpa is amongst the 20 Tibetans detained in late May by police authorities of Darlak County for having led with Gonpo Tibetan language classes, and promoting Buddhist ethics by advising nomads to renounce selling their livestocks to slaughterhouse. Details of other detainees are still unknown. Click here to read more.