2008 protests

30/01/2015 News

Remembering the fearless ‘ghost’ Tenzin Choedrak (1981-2014)

Tenzin Choedrak, a Tibetan social activist died two days after his release from prison at the age of 34. He was serving a 15-year prison term for acting as a ringleader of the March 2008 protests in Lhasa, Tibet [1].

When he was returned to his family, Choedrak had dislocated jawbones and damaged kidneys. He was physically emaciated and vomiting blood because of a brain injury. All the bones in his feet were broken. This suggests that he may have been subjected to the falaka, or foot whipping, torture technique. The falaka involves beating the sole’s of the victim’s feet with a heavy cable or whatever else is available. It causes extreme pain up the victim’s body and the feet to swell. The technique was used in the PRC, the Middle East, and Romania.[2]

15/04/2013 News

Monk hospitalized, another has lost mental stability on release from prison

Soepa, 35, has become mentally unstable after enduring severe torture during five years' of imprisonment in the notorious Chushul Prison — Soepa, 35, has become mentally unstable after enduring severe torture during five years’ of imprisonment in the notorious Chushul Prison

Two Tibetan monks have been released after they completed their five-year prison terms in Chushul (Ch: Qushui) Prison located in the outskirts of the Tibetan capital, Lhasa, in Tibet Autonomous Region.

Lobsang Ngodup, 34, and Soepa, 35, were released on 10 March 2013, which was also the 54^th anniversary of Tibetan national uprising day, reported Tibet Express, the exile Tibetan language newspaper last week citing local Tibetan sources.

After his release, Lobsang Ngodup is undergoing treatment at a hospital in Siling (Ch: Xining), capital of Qinghai Province. Soepa is said to have lost his mental balance, the exile newspaper reported, adding he has been behaving strangely since his release. Curiously, no injuries are visible on his body but the state of Soepa’s mental health indicates that he had endured severe torture at the hands of prison authorities in Chushul.

05/02/2009 News

China sentences four nuns and two laymen in Kardze

Chinese authorities has recently conducted a series of court trials of Tibetans arrested and detained for their involvement in the pan Tibet protests in 2008 which swept across the areas inhabited by Tibetans in Tibet. According to confirmed information received by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD), four nuns and two laymen from Kardze (Ch: Ganzi) County, Kardze “Tibet Autonomous Prefecture” (“TAP”), Sichuan Province were sentenced to a varying terms in January this year for staging a peaceful protest in 2008.

02/02/2009 News

Monk and nun sentenced in Kardze

In a series of court trails recently of Tibetans detained for their involvement in the protest last year in Tibet, more such cases of court sentencing are slowly reaching the outside world. The latest among such court trials were from Kardze (Ch: Ganzi) where in January this year, monk and a nun were sentenced to varying prison terms of four and three years respectively for staging peaceful protests in Kardze county, according confirmed information received by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD).

31/01/2009 News

Tibetan man blinded and sentenced to four years’ in jail in Ngaba

The Intermediate People’s Court of Ngaba County in Sichuan province sentenced a Tibetan to four years’ jail term for spearheading protests in Ngaba County last year, according to confirmed information received by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) from reliable sources.

A 33-year-old, Choephel of Urjamtsang family, Unit No. 2, Meruma Township, Ngaba County, Ngaba “Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture”(‘TAP’) Sichuan Province, who was involved in March 15, 16 and 17 protests in Ngaba County last year was sentenced to four years’ jail term by the Ngaba County Intermediate People’s Court on 4 November 2008. The court’s original sentence of ten years’ jail term to Choephel was later commuted to four years’ term on the ground of his clean past record, according to the source. The Intermediate People’s Court of Ngaba County convicted Choephel on alleged crimes of leading protest, looting and ransacking County Public Security Bureau (PSB) office and burning national flag in a series of protests that took place in Ngaba County last spring.

05/11/2008 News

Chinese court sentences five Tibetans between 3 – 10 years imprisonment for Kardze Protests

In the past few days, five Tibetans were given lengthy prison sentences ranging from 3-10 years’ imprisonment term by the Kardze Intermediate People’s Court in Dartsedo (Ch: Kangding), Kardze “Tibet Autonomous Prefecture” (‘TAP’) Sichuan Province on charges ranging from “endangering state security to disrupting public order and other crimes”, according to confirmed information received by the Tibetan Centre for Human…

04/11/2008 News

China re-arrests monk who exposed Chinese crackdown to foreign media

Jigme, a Tibetan Buddhist monk, who provided a rare first-hand account of China’s crackdown on Tibetan protesters to foreign media has been arbitrarily arrested by Sangchu County People’s Armed Police(PAP) and Public Security Bureau (PSB) this afternoon from one of the Tibetan homes in Labrang for unknown reason according to confirmed information received by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) from reliable sources.

09/10/2008 News

Tibetan AIDS activist missing

File photo of Wangdue talking to Lhasa residents about AIDS

Wangdue, a Tibetan HIV AIDS activist, has been missing since his arbitrary detention by the Lhasa City Public Security Bureau (PSB) from his home on 14 March 2008, according to information received by TCHRD.

“Wangdue, now in his early 40s was born in Taktse County (Ch: Daxi/Dagze Xian), Lhasa Municipality, “Tibet Autonomous Region” (“TAR”). He is a former political prisoner initially arrested for his involvement in the March 1989 protest in Lhasa and was later sentenced to three years to “Re-education through Labour” in Sangyip Prison, also known as “TAR” PSB Detention Centre.

29/09/2008 News

Tibetan monks missing since April raid

Five monks have gone missing since the raid by Chinese security officials on Ramoche Temple following protests in the Tibetan capital, Lhasa, in March 2008.

According to information received by TCHRD, the whereabouts of Ramoche monastery’s Chagzoe (manager and treasurer) Sonam Rabgyal and four other monks cannot be ascertained. The monks were arrested during a midnight raid in monks’ residence on 7 April 2008.

25/09/2008 News

More cases of Enforced and Involuntary Disappearance surfaces from Tibet

In the recent few months after the outbreak of the major protests across the Tibetan plateau since March 10, 2008, a few more cases of, particularly, the enforced and involuntary disappearance of Tibetans are beginning to surface. According to the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD), there are at least more than a thousand Tibetans whose current whereabouts and well being remains completely unknown to their family members and their affiliated monasteries.

05/07/2008 News

Tibetan demonstrators beaten and detained in Kardze

A group of local Tibetans were severely beaten and then detained by the Chinese security forces for staging peaceful demonstrations in Kardze County, Kardze “Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture” (“TAP”), Sichuan, according to confirmed information received by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD)

On 21 June 2008, a Tibetan youth named Dragu of Khashul Village, Dado Township, Kardze County, Kardze “TAP”, was detained by the People’s Armed Police (PAP) as he had entered into the main market of the County calling for a free Tibet until his protest was overtaken by 7 local PAP officers. He was seen sporting a white band tied around his head with the words “Bod Rangzen” (Free Tibet) written on it and with Tibetan flags painted on both of his cheeks.