(TibetanReview.net, Oct31’20) – China has jailed a Tibetan man for six years for a song that criticized its repressive rule in his home county of Driru (Chinese: Biru) in northern Tibet’s Nagchu City. Lhundrub Dragpa, 36, had released a song titled ‘Black Hat’ in Mar 2019 and was arrested in May the same year.
He was tried and sentenced in Jun 2020 without access to legal representation and other trappings of a fair trial, according to Dharamsala-based Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy Oct 30.
The exile Tibetan administration said on its tibet.net website Oct 30 that the popular singer had been jailed for “separatist activities”. It also said his arrest was arbitrary and that he had been subjected to beating and harsh interrogations during his year-long custodial interrogation.
The tibet.net report noted that earlier, in 2013, Lhundrub Dragpa had joined another popular Tibetan singer to sing and later release a musical video titled ‘Tashi Yardo’ that included prayers of long life for His Holiness the Dalai Lama. It added that the other singer, known for his patriotic songs, was eventually jailed for three and half years in Apr 2015.
Lhundrub Dragpa’s current whereabouts remain unknown, although he was stated to be held in Nagchu jail before his trial.
