Lobsang Tenzin, now 32, was released recently after serving 10 of the 13-year prison term in Ngaba (Chinese: Aba) Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province, in the Tibetan province of Amdo. The exact date of his release is unknown.
The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) is deeply saddened by the news of the untimely demise of former Tibetan political prisoner Mr Shonu Palden and extends heartfelt condolences to his bereaved family members and relatives. Mr Palden is survived by his wife and three children: son Tenzin Kunkyab, 8, and daughters Namgyal Dolma, 10, and Tashi Dolma,…
An ailing former Tibetan political prisoner was interrogated for hours and then put under house arrest earlier today by local Chinese authorities in Machu (Ch: Maqu) County in Kanlho (Ch: Gannan) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu Province, in the Tibetan province of Amdo.
Chinese authorities released a Tibetan man from prison before the completion of his term to avoid responsibility for his imminent death due to torture injuries. Meanwhile his daughter has been refused school admission because her father had engaged in political activities in the past.
Shonu Palden, 40, was released on 24 July 2013 before the completion of his prison term. He was released early, having served only a little over a year of his two years and nine months sentence, because continued incarceration would have led to his death in prison. Since his early release, he has undergone two massive surgeries in a local hospital to treat various health complications including a serious heart condition he developed in detention. He suffers from blocked arteries, weak eyesight, and breathing and hearing problems.
A Tibetan man, 34, was arrested in Machu (Ch: Maqu) County of Kanlho (Ch: Gannan) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Gansu Province.
Shonu Palden, a nomad by occupation, was arrested on 18 June 2012 from a local restaurant in Belpen Township by Chinese security personnel who came in four vehicles in Machu County.
On 20 June, a group of 10 local Tibetans approached the county authorities to inquire about the abrupt arrest. Only five Tibetans from the group were allowed to go inside the office to make inquiries. They were told Shonu Palden on suspicion that he spearheaded protests in Machu County in 2008. The officials then asked the group to leave and that Shonu Palden would remain in detention for a month for interrogation, after which decisions would be made.