DHARAMSHALA: Calls grow for the release of Rungye Adak, who was arrested for making a daring call on this day six years ago for demanding the return of His Holiness the Dalai Lama to Tibet and the release of all Tibetan political prisoners including the Panchen Lama.

On 1 August 2007, the Chinese police arrested Adak, a Tibetan nomad from Lithang in Kham province, after he raised slogans calling for His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s return to Tibet during a popular Tibetan horse-racing festival. He also raised calls for the unity of Tibetans and freedom for Tibet. His daring protest came after a severe crackdown on pro-Dalai Lama sentiments among the Tibetans by Chinese authorities.

Following his arrest, thousands of Tibetans from all over the region gathered near the local government office demanding his immediate release. The Chinese authorities responded by deploying hundreds of police to crackdown on the peaceful protesters.

Rungye Adak was subsequently sentenced to 8 years in prison and several of his close aides and relatives received sentences up to 10 years.

Adak’s protest and his subsequent arrest drew strong criticisms from all around the world. Various media reports also covered the human rights situation inside Tibet following this incident. The then US House speaker Nancy Pelosi at a meeting with former Chinese president Hu Jintao also raised the issue of human rights and Tibetan political prisoners by explicitly mentioning Rungye Adak’s case.

In a press release issued today, Atruk Tseten, a member of Tibetan Parliament in Exile, said the charges of separatist activities levelled against Adak were false and politically-motivated.