The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) strongly condemns the recent sentencing of Lobsang Thapkhey, a former librarian at Kirti Monastery in Ngaba (Ch: Aba) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Sichuan Province, in the Tibetan province of Amdo, for merely attempting to import and distribute religious and cultural books from India to Tibet and for engaging in the Tibetan Buddhist practice of making financial offerings to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Kirti Rinpoche.
Lobsang Choephel, 34, was detained earlier this month along with other unidentified monks. The reason behind their sudden detention and their whereabouts remain unknown.
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.