Reportage – 2007Ronggye A'drak sentenced for eight yearsMCLEOD GANJ, India, 26 November 2007 — Ronggye A'drak, the Tibetan nomad, who took to the stage and calling for the Dalai Lama's return to Tibet during a Horse Festival in Lithang in eastern Tibet on 1 August has been sentenced for eight years imprisonment. He was convicted of attempting to "subvert state power" and "split the country" by calling for the Dalai Lama's return to Tibet and greater freedom in Tibet. Kardze Intermediate People's Court issued the sentence, which stated A'drak "undermined national unity," leading to protests at local government offices because "people were not clear about the truth," Xinhua news agency reported on 20 November. The court also sentenced three other Tibetans to prison terms of three to 10 years on charges that they were "spying for overseas organisations" and trying to "split Tibet from China". A'drak's nephew, Adruk Lopoe, received the heaviest sentence of ten years' while Kunkhyen, a musician and teacher, was sentenced for nine years imprisonment for taking photos and recordings of the demonstrations. They were charged for "colluding with foreign separatist force to split the country and distributing political pamphlets." A fourth Tibetan, Lothok, was sentenced to three years in prison, allegedly for sending the pictures overseas. All four men will also be deprived of their political rights for several years following their jail terms, meaning even after their release they may be subject to police oversight and restrictions on their travel and who they associate with. Exile Tibetans hailed Ronggye A'drak as a national hero. |
|
| All rights reserved © 2000–2008 Lobsang Wangyal.com | |