A former Tibetan village leader was released early this month after serving four years in prison. Akhu Gyatak (Ch: Gyadehor), in his mid-60s, returned to his home, accompanied by local security officers in Dowa (Ch: Duowa) Township in Rebkong (Ch: Tongren) County in Malho (Ch: Huangnan) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province.
Chinese authorities have sentenced nine Tibetans to varying terms of six to 14 years in connection with the 80th birthday celebration of the Nobel Peace laureate and Tibetan spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Ngaba (Ch: Aba) County in Ngaba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, in the Tibetan province of Amdo.