monk – Page 2

27/07/2011 News

Kirti monk sentenced to 3 yrs, hundreds of security officials deployed in Kirti

According to confirmed information by TCHRD, Dhonyoe Dorjee, a monk at Kirti Monastery was sentenced to three years’ prison term. At present, he is in Mianyang Prison near Chengdu in Sichuan Province. There is no information on the details of his trial, the court that sentenced him, and the date and time of the court hearing. The charges under which he has been sentenced also remain unknown.

Since his arrest on 8 April 2011 from his monastery, Dhonyoe Dorjee was held incommunicado until his trial.

16/07/2011 News

Monk Dorgay of Nagchu Shabten Monastery arrested

On 6 July 2011, Dorgay, a monk of Shabten Monastery in Dickyi Township of Nagchu (Ch: Naqu) County in Tibet Autonomous Region was arrested and taken away by Chinese police.

At around 5 am on 6 July, Dorgay, 22, drove his car with 1500-2000 khataks (ceremonial scarves). Praying for the long life of the Dalai Lama, he tied the khataks on trees, electric poles and everywhere in Nagchu region as a celebration of the 76th birthday of His Holiness the Dalai Lama. Soon after returning to his monastery, Chinese police arrived at the monastery and inquired whether he was the one who put khataks all around Nagchu to which he confessed. Hence, he was arrested and taken away by Chinese police. His whereabouts remain unknown to date. His family members and fellow monks at Shabten Monastery tried to locate him and find out about his conditions but without any success.

07/06/2009 News

Monk suicides on the rise in Buddhist Tibet

The Tibetan Buddhist worldwide is currently observing this month as the holy Buddhist month of Saka Dawa. 7 June 2009 (a full moon day), Sunday, will be observed as the most important day of the holy month according to the Buddhist belief due to the significance of the day being Buddha Shakyamuni’s birth, enlightenment and parinirvana falling on the same day. While the Tibetan Buddhist – both the civil and monastic community – worldwide spend the day with various religious activities and rituals according to the faith, however, Tibetans inside Chinese administered Tibet face severe religious repression enacted by the State and its agents. Restrictions and prohibitory orders to the government officials and students from visiting temples this month have already been issued. Reinforcement of security forces and intelligence officials have been deployed across Lhasa city to maintain “stability” during the holy month.

30/03/2009 News

Chinese police beat Tibetan monk to death

A Tibetan monk was beaten to death by Chinese Public Security Bureau (PSB) officers in Drango (Ch: Luhuo) County in Kardze (Ch: Ganzi) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (TAP), Sichuan Province.

According to a reliable information received by TCHRD, Phuntsok, 27, a monk from Drango Monastery, who hailed from Zongpa Village, in Drango County was brutally beaten to death for his peacefully protesting against China’s repressive policies in Tibet.

On 25 March 2009, Phuntsok pasted leaflets on the walls of a branch office of the Drango PSB headquarters on Shara Thang-do Bridge and on roadside trees. His campaign was connected with the last years’ unprecedented unrest in Tibet, particularly in Drango County, when hundreds of monks who took part in a peaceful demonstration against the Chinese government on 25 March 2008. The protest was subsequently quelled down with force and resulted in arrests, torture and detention of hundreds of monks.

02/05/2005 News

Monk sentenced to three years “re-education through labour” for political journal

Tashi Gyaltsen was born in 1964 in Yagel Hrongbu Village. He studied Tibetan grammar, history and poetry during his early ages.

In 1986, he joined the Drakar Trezong Monastery where he was ordained as a monk by his teacher, Kelsang Tsultrim Woeser Rinpoche. Over the years, Tashi mastered in all the Buddhist text and successfully completed the five annals of Tibetan Buddhism.

In 1993, he was acclaimed as a candidate for the reincarnation of Kyabje Arol Dorjee Chang.

Tashi was on the editorial team of the monastery’s journal “Great Rays of the Sun and Moon” (Tib translit: nyi dai’ gzi byin). The Chinese authorities deemed the content of the journal to be politically sensitive and on 14 January 2005, “PSB” officials from Tsegorthang County and Tsolho “Tibet Autonomous Region” (“TAP”) arrived in the monastery. Tashi Gyaltsen along with four other monks on the editorial team were arrested and led to the local “PSB” Detention Centre.

09/07/2004 News

Prominent architect of September 1987 demonstration released

According to the confirmed information received by Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD), Ngawang Woeser, one of the architects of the famous Pro-independence peaceful demonstration of 27 September, 1987 in Lhasa, was released on 18 April, 2004 from Drapchi prison. He was released on completion of his 15 years imprisonment term. His physical condition is known to have deteriorated severely over the years due to various tortures and inhuman treatments suffered in the prison. Currently his physical condition is extremely frail and has suffered severe body weight loss.

31/07/2003 News

China releases monk serving seven years’ sentence

Luzi Tashi Phuntsok, who was serving seven years’ imprisonment sentence in Yakra Phuk Prison (Tib translit: gyag ra phuk), was released on 28 July 2003, according to reliable information received by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD). On 30 July, Tashi reportedly arrived at Jamyang Choekhorling Monastery in Nyakchuka County, Karze “Tibet Autonomous Prefecture” (“TAP”), Sichuan Province.

Tashi was arbitrarily arrested on 17 April 2002 from his monastery and detained in Nyakchuka County Public Security Bureau (PSB) Detention Centre for a day. Later, he was transferred to Yakra Phuk Prison. In the end of November 2002, Karze People’s Intermediate Court sentenced him to seven years’ imprisonment on alleged charges of colluding with Trulku Tenzin Delek, a respected Buddhist teacher in eastern Tibet. On 2 December 2002, Karze Intermediate People’s Court sentenced Trulku Tenzin Delek to death with a suspension of two years for allegedly “causing bomb explosions”. Another Tibetan, Lobsang Dhondup, was executed on 26 January 2002 for the same charges.