Karze Tibetans sentenced secretly to avoid protests

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(TibetanReview.net, Dec 23) — Tibetans are being sentenced to jail terms “one after another” in Karze (Chinese Ganzi), Sichuan province, mostly for their involvement in a major, peaceful demonstration on Mar 18 in the prefecture, reported Radio Free Asia (Washington, DC) Dec 22.

“Recently”, two monks, Orgyen Tashi and Tenzin Ngodrub, were sentenced by the prefectural intermediate court to three-year jail terms, the report quoted a source as saying. The fate of a monk named Lobsang, who had been arrested with many others, remained unknown.

Four others — Pema Deshey, Tashi Palden, Goga, and Sangpo — were also given three-year jail terms each after being severely beaten during three months of detention in Kardze, followed by six more months of torture at the Nyagrong (Chinese: Xinlong) county prison, the report said. They too were held for alleged involvement in the Mar 18 protest. It was not clear where they would serve their terms.

Others known to be sentenced included Sherab, a monk of the Khangmar monastery, who got three year. Also, Tsering Phuntsog from Khangmar, who was given two and half years, and a layman named Palden Wangyal, 19, who received three years.

The sentences were all reported to have been delivered secretly, apparently to avoid inflaming the Tibetan public.

The report said a truckload of Tibetan prisoners was seen being taken to China under heavy guard, while the personal belongings of some of the prisoners were being returned to their families.

The report cited a source as saying over 200 Tibetans were detained following protests throughout Kardze Prefecture in 2008. “About 20 were released, while the rest are still being held. About 70 percent of those are said to have been sentenced to prison terms of different lengths,” RFA quoted its source as saying.

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