A Tibetan middle school teacher and musician was released from Mianyang Prison near Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province, last month after serving nine years for allegedly engaging in espionage and separatist activities.
Jamyang Kunkhen was detained on 22 August 2007 in connection with solidarity protests staged against the arbitrary detention of Tibetan nomad named Ronggye Adrak.
The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) is pleased to learn that Ronggye A’drak, a Tibetan nomad who was imprisoned for staging a peaceful protest eight years ago, has been released after the completion of his sentence. Ronggye A’drak was released from prison and brought home by officials at around 1 am local time on 31 July in…
The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) expresses its deepest shock and condemnation over swift and extremely harsh sentence to Ronggye A’drak and three other Tibetans by Kardze Intermediate People’s Court today.
Ronggye A’drak, who was earlier indicted by the Kardze Intermediate People’s Court on 29 October 2007 on four counts of ‘crimes’ ranging from disruption of law and order to state subversion was sentence to eight years of imprisonment with deprivation of political rights for four years, A’druk Lopoe to ten years; Kunkhen to nine years and Lothok to three years imprisonment respectively by the Kardze Intermediate People’s Court today, according to the confirmed information received by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD).
The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) today received reliable information that Kardze People’s Intermediate Court indicted Ronggye A’drak with four accounts of “crimes” ranging from disruption of law and order to state subversion.
According to the source, on 29 October 2007, a handcuffed Ronggye A’drak was brought to Kardze People’s Intermediate Court, for a trial. During the trial, the court indicted Ronggye A’drak with four accounts of “crimes”:
(1) Indicted of seeking to “split” the country and subvert state power on 1 August 2007 during the horse racing festival by shouting “Long Live the Dalai Lama” and asking for the Dalai Lama to return to Tibet.
The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) received confirmed information from reliable sources that three more Tibetans were arrested from Yonru Kharshul Village, Ponkar Township, Lithang County in connection with Ronggye A’drak’s case following continued mass protest by his supporters.
In the aftermath of Ronggye A’drak’s arrest, severe restrictions were imposed in Lithang and surrounding areas for the fear of massive popular uprising. Supporters of Ronggye A’drak are known to have stationed outside the County Public Security Bureau (PSB) Office for weeks after his arrest on 1 August 2007 demanding his early release. In an attempt to intimidate the supporters of Ronggye A’drak, the Lithang County government sent additional contingents of People’s Armed Police (PAP) as a reinforcement to monitor and restrict the activities of his supporters.