Chinese authorities have intensified crackdown on solo Tibetan protesters as information from Tibet confirms the sentencing of two monks and detention of two others in Ngaba County in Ngaba (Ch: Aba) Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, in Amdo Province. According to information received by Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy, Gedun Phuntsok and Lobsang Kelsang, both monks…
Against the backdrop of the legal reforms that took place in 2014 aiming to make courts less corrupt, there has been an unprecedented crackdown on human rights lawyers in the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Approximately 120 lawyers, and more than 50 support staff, family members and activists, have been rounded up and arrested across the country since the morning…
A Tibetan mother of one has died after setting herself on fire in protest against Chinese rule in Dzamthang (Ch: Rangtang) County in Ngaba (Ch: Aba) Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province.
According to information received by TCHRD, Chuktso, 20, died after her self-immolation protest on 16 April near Jonang Monastery in Dzamthang County in the Tibetan province of Amdo. Sources said the burning protest took place at around 3 pm (local time).
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 54th 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.
A Chinese court has given heavy prison terms to six Tibetans “for their roles in an October self-immolation case,” reported the Chinese government-owned news agency Xinhua on 31 January.
On 23 October 2012, a Tibetan farmer, Dorjee Rinchen, 58, died after setting his body on fire in protest against Chinese rule at Gyugya market on the main street of Sangchu county, which was located near a Chinese military camp. After the self-immolation protest, his body was taken to his home village Zayu in Sangchu. This was done to protect him from getting into the hands of Chinese officers. His family members were able to conduct necessary rites and rituals after his death. Security officers even tried to stop the Labrang monks from going to Dorjee Rinchen’s home for prayers.
Chinese authorities have now heightened the campaign to eradicate all avenues of receiving Tibet-related radio and TV news available on foreign channels by issuing a public notice, which announced monetary fines and actions for those who fail to surrender banned satellite dishes and other broadcast equipment by 27 January 2013. The notice, dated 24 January 2013, declared Yuan 5,000 fine and “other consequences” for those who use satellite dishes and other equipments to watch programs on foreign channels.
Chinese Communist Party and government officials are said to be vigorously implementing the contents of the notice in Rebkong (Ch: Tongren) County in Malho (Ch: Huangnan) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province. Restriction is said to be severe in Rongwo Monastery, sources told TCHRD.
Around 10 September 2011, three Kirti monks were sentenced to 2- 3 years’ of ‘Re-education Through Labour’ by the Ngaba (Ch: Aba) Prefecture Public Security Bureau (PSB). The three monks: Lobsang Dhargye, Tsekho and Dorjee were all arrested around 12 April 2011 on suspicion related to the 16 March 2011 self immolation of monk Phuntsog.
According to our sources, Dorjee, 16, from Lhoengtsang Village, Ngaba County, has been sentenced to three years re-education through labor.
Tsekho is 30 years old, born in Tru-tse Township, Ngaba County and 22 years old Lobsang Dhargye is from Myeruma, Ngaba County. Both Tsekho and Lobsang Dhargye have been sentenced to re-education through labor for two years and six months.
A day after protest broke out in Lhasa city on 14 March 2008, it spread to the adjacent Phenpo County, in the east of Lhasa city. On 15 March 2008, thousands from Tibetans of all walks of life protested in Phenpo Lhundup County.
The Chinese government responded the protesters with harsh crackdown and during which many Tibetans were killed, arrested, tortured and awarded harsh sentences ranging from three-year prison term to life imprisonment. The Chinese government has been consistent with their in-disproportionate crackdown on peaceful Tibetan protesters, followed by indiscriminate arrests, unlawful detentions and awarding harsh sentences.
According to confirmed information received by the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD), a 29-year old Tibetan youth, Dolma Kyab, has been sentenced to ten years’ imprisonment term for writing and maintaining a commentary manuscript about Tibet. He is currently imprisoned at Chushul (Ch: Qushui) Prison, “Tibet Autonomous Region” (“TAR”).
Dolma Kyab a.k.a Lobsang Kelsang Gyatso (pen name) was arrested on 9 March 2005 in Lhasa where he was teaching History at a Middle School. As a passion for writing, he maintained a commentary manuscript written in Chinese titled “Himalaya on Stir” (Chinese: Sao dong de Ximalayashan), which was a compilation of 57 chapters written on various topics about democracy, sovereignty of Tibet, Tibet under communism, colonialism, religion and belief etc. Along side the manuscript, he also began writing another one on the geographical aspects of Tibet, which was comparatively short, yet touched on sensitive topics about the location and number of Chinese military camps in Chinese occupied Tibet etc.