MB Civic

at 6:59 pm | By B K Upmanyu

Source: nvonews.com

Dharmshala: Nine monks studying at
Samye Monastery in Tibet were sentenced
to varying prison terms between 2-15
years’ in jail for their participation in the
last Spring Tibet protest in Lhoka
Prefecture “Tibet Autonomous Region”
(’TAR’) and a monk committed suicide,
according to confirmed information
received by the Tibetan Centre for Human
Rights and Democracy (TCHRD).

In the series of court sentences of the
Tibetan people involved in the last spring
Tibet protests, more cases of court
sentences and other extreme cases of
Tibetan committing suicide due to
intolerable sufferings are surfacing.

The Lhoka Intermediate People’s Court
sentenced nine monks to varying terms
between 2 -15 years’ in jail for their
participation in the 15 March 2008 protest
which took place at Samye government
administrative headquarters in Dranang
County (Ch: Zhanang xian), Lhoka (Ch:
Shannan) Prefecture, “TAR”. They were
detained at Lhoka Public Security Bureau
(PSB) Detention Centre following a brief
protest demonstration. The protest was
joined by hundreds of Tibetans of Dranang
County calling for the “swift return of the
Dalai Lama to Tibet”, “religious freedom”
and “human rights for Tibetans.” Although,
the exact date of their court sentence could
not be ascertained, however, the source
said that they were known to have been
sentenced in May-June 2008.

According to the source, following the
protest the movement of the monastic
populace were severely restricted that not
a single monk was allowed to move in and
out of the monastery for three days. After
three days of complete lockdown, the
County PSB officials along with the ‘Work
Team’- ((Tibetan: las don ru khag, Chinese:
gongzuo dui) specially formed units of
government personnel sent to conduct
        “patriotic re-education” in an
institution or locality)- arrived at
monasteries to question each monk
regarding the protest demonstration.
During one such intense interrogation on
19 March 2008, a visiting scholar from
Dorjee Drak Monastery to the Samye
Monastery called Namdrol Khakyab from
Nyemo County, Lhasa Municipality, “TAR,’
committed suicide leaving a note that
accused of unbearabl

e suppression by the
Chinese regime and cited innocence of
other monks of the monastery and took
full responsibility for the protest
demonstration.

According to the source, “Of the nine
Tibetans sentenced, four were visiting
Buddhist scripture masters to the Samye
Monastery from other monasteries, and
other five were monks of the Samye
Monastery. Five monks are:

1) Gyaltsen of Tsona (Ch: Cuona) County,
Lhoka Prefecture was sentenced to 15
years’ in jail;

2) Nyima Tashi, of Gongkar County (Ch:
Gongga Xian), Lhoka Prefecture was
sentenced to 13 years’ in jail;

3) Phuntsok (One name only) born in
Kongpo, Nyingtri Prefecture ‘TAR’ and his
parent were known to have shifted their
home to Kyiray in Lhasa, was sentenced to
13 years’ in jail;

4) Tenzin Dawa, of Tsome County (Ch:
Cuomei xian), Lhoka Prefecture, was
sentenced to two years’ in jail

5) Rigden, of Dranang County, Lhoka
Prefecture, was sentenced to 2 years’ in jail.

The visiting Buddhist scripture masters
were identified as,

1) Tenzin Bhuchung of Phenpo Lhundup
County, Lhasa Municipality and monk of
Langthang Monastery was sentenced to 15
years’ imprisonment term;

2) Tenzin Zoepa, of Tsome County, Lhoka
Prefecture and monk of Jowo Monastery,
was sentenced to 13 years’ imprisonment
term;

3) Gelek of Lhodrag County (Ch: Luozha
xian), Lhoka Prefecture and monk of Sang
Ngag Choekor Monastery was sentenced
to 2 years’ jail term

4) Ngawang Tenzin of Nagartse County (Ch:
Lianggarze xian), Lhoka Prefecture and
monk of Khathok Monastery was
sentenced to 2 years’ in jail.

Following the protest demonstration, the
Samye Monastery was forcibly closed for
almost nine months from March till
November 2008. There is no information
on the exact location of their detention at
the moment nor is there any information
on their physical condition.

TCHRD strongly condemns the sentencing
of nine Tibetans monks for their peaceful
protest demonstration in Samye. Since
their activities constitute nothing more
than an expression of their opinion,
thought and exercise of their basic human
rights peacefully, TCHRD calls upon the
Chinese authorities to release them
unconditionally. TCHRD expresses its
grave concern over the outrageous
violation of denying the Tibetan devotees
and practitioners from enjoying their right
to religious freedom and beliefs by
completely closing the religious institution
for months.

Suicides resulting from unbearable mental
torture have also been recorded in the
past. As a direct consequence of relentless
oppression by the Chinese security forces,
many anguished Tibetans attempted to
and others took the drastic step of
committing suicide to rid themselves of
persistent physical and mental torture. Last
year witnessed suicide even by monks who
were known for their patience and
resilience in the face of adversity. Such
cases are clear indication of Tibetan monks
being pushed to the extreme limits of
endurance and helplessness in the face of
oppression and repression by the Chinese
authorities in Tibet.