Tibetan Solidarity Committee Calls for Immediate Release of Tibetan DetaineesWednesday, 5 November 2008, 4:23 p.m.
Dharamshala: The Tibetan Solidarity Committee has made fresh appeals to the United Nations for an immediate release of all the Tibetan detainees, as the Chinese government handed down harsh prison sentences to Tibetans arrested in connection with protests in March this year.
China’s official Xinhua news agency reported Tuesday that fifty-five Tibetans have been sentenced to jail and the prison terms range from 3 to life.There has been no let up in Chinese government’s repressive measures in Tibet as arbitrary trials and detentions of innocent Tibetans are still continuing unabated.Reliable sources told the Tibetan Solidarity Committee that a boy from Serta district of Karze, Tibet, was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by the intermediate people’s court of law at Dartsedo on 28 October, but his name is still unknown. On 29 October, a monk Sherab Sangpo, aged 26 from Dongthok Monastery and a student of Karze Buddhist School was sentenced to 6 years imprisonment by the intermediate people’s court of law. He was convicted for hoisting a 9-feet long Tibetan national flag on 26 March at Dartsedo and for protesting against China’s wrong policies.
On 30 October, Ngoga, aged 53, from Serchuteng in Karze was sentenced to 8 years imprisonment and Norbu Tsering, aged 49, from Drukhangteng in Karze was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment by the intermediate people’s court of law at Dartsedo. Ngoga took part in the peaceful demonstrations held in the Karze on 18 October, and he was also severely injured. Norbu Tsering was also one of the demonstrators.In the morning of 28 October, a monk Ludrup Phuntsok, aged 23, who was working as chief editor of the book “Mahseng Zhedra” at Achog Tsenyi Monastery in Ngaba was sentenced to 13 years imprisonment, and a monk Ludrup Yeshi, aged 33, was sentenced to 13 and a half year imprisonment. A monk Tsultrim Gyatso, aged 42, was sentenced to 9 years, and Ludrup Tendar, aged 43, was sentenced to 3 years imprisonment by the intermediate civil court of law at Barkham in Ngaba, Amdo.
According to news report in the website of Lhasa township local government, on 29 October, Lobsang Tsemey (Pasang) and Dhola were sentenced to 15 years imprisonment by People’s court of Lhundup district, under Lhasa County. The sentence also included denial of political rights for a period of 5 years and each one of them were charged with a penalty of 2000 Yuan. Kalden Chodak ( Kalden), Lhakdon, Tenpa Dhondup, Lobsang Khechog, Dorjee Dolma and Tashi Namgyal were sentenced to imprisonment, their term varying from 5 to 14 years. In separate incidents, the People’s Court in Chushul district under the Lhasa County sentenced Phuntsok Tenpa for 3 years and 9 months imprisonment, Phuntsok for 2 years and 9 months imprisonment, Phuntsok Traden for 2 years and 6 months, Lobsang Tsephel for 9 years imprisonment including denial of political rights for a period of 2 years and Tsenam for 5 years imprisonment.
Meanwhile, Dharamsala-based Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy has condemned the arbitrary arrest of a Tibetan monk from his home in Labrang in Amdo by Chinese people’s Armed Police and Public Security Bureau of Sangchu county.Around fifty People Armed Police (PAP) and Public Security Bureau (PSB) officials made forced entry into a home in Labrang around 1:00 p.m. (Beijing Standard Time) on Tuesday, 4 November, to arrest Jigme and took him away in a military vehicle for no apparent reason, the rights group said quoting a reliable source.Jigme, a Tibetan Buddhist monk, earlier appeared in a video detailing the aspirations of the Tibetan people for human rights in Tibet and their respect for His Holiness the Dalai Lama. He spoke critical of the wrong and repressive policies of the Chinese government in Tibet, particularly of the days that followed its violent clampdown of peaceful protests in Tibet in March this year.
TV Grab of Jigme describing Chinese atrocities in Tibet/Photo: TCHRD |
The rights group condemned the arbitration detention of Tibetans for expressing grievances and peaceful exercise of the right to freedom of expression and opinion. The Chinese government ruthlessly cracked down on peaceful Tibetan demonstrators across Tibet since 10 March this year, which left 218 Tibetans dead, 1290 injured and 6705 arrested or detained so far.(Click here for press release from the Tibetan Solidarity Committee)