DHRAMSALA, Nov 5: Three Tibetans have been sentenced to up to
three years in prison on alleged ‘murder charge’ in Meruma, Ngaba County in
Amdo Province (incorporated into present day Sichuan) in connection with a
Tibetan man’s self-immolation last year in the same county, Gu-Chu-Sum Movement
of Tibet, a Dharamsala-based Tibetan ex-political prisoners’ organization made
the announcement at a press conference held here today.
On Nov 3, at 9:30 am (local time), Meruma People’s Court passed
the judgment on the three Tibetans, Gerik Tsang Dolma Tso (female), Ghoge Tsang
Konme (male) and Marli Tsang Gephel (male) for allegedly ‘murdering’ Kunchok
tseten, a 30-yr-old Tibetan father of two who reportedly set himself alight in
December last year in Meruma in protest against the Chinese government’s
repressive rule in Tibet.
Gerik Tsang Dolma Tso of Town No. 3 and Ghoge Tsang Konme of
Town No. 2 in Meruma were sentenced for three years’ imprisonment and
withdrawal of political rights and Marli Tsang Gephel of Town No. 4 in Meruma
was given 2 years’ imprisonment.
According to earlier reports, following Kunchok Tseten’s
self-immolation protest, a brief clash ensued between Chinese security forces
and local Tibetans who tried to prevent the self-immolator from being taken
away. The security forces finally seized the self-immolator’s body and took him
away. Later, Kunchok’s 28-yr-old wife Namnang and some of his relatives as well
as several local Tibetans who were involved in the clash with the security
forces were also arrested.
Kungam, brother of Dolma Tso who was present at the press
conference said his sister has been falsely charged with murder for trying to
prevent the Chinese security forces from taking Kunchok’s charred body away.
“When Kunchok Tseten committed self-immolation, Dolma Tso tried
to offer help by lifting up his charred body into the vehicle. For this act of
generosity and help, the Chinese police arrested her on suspicion that she has
had links with the self-immolation. While in detention, she was beaten and
tortured severely,” Kungam said.
“Then on the morning of 3 November 2014, around 9. 30 am, the
people’s court of Ngaba county sentenced her to three years in prison for
committing murder. The judges told Dolma Tso that if she accepted the court’s verdict
of murder, she would be shown leniency, such as giving lesser years of prison
sentence and less restrictions on her freedom of movement.”
However, according to Kungam, his sister Dolma Tso protested in
the court by shouting, “I haven’t murdered Kunchok Tseten. He died out of
self-immolation. When I came to pick his body up, he was already dead. I have
simply lifted his body up and put it into the vehicle. I haven’t committed any
murder at all. At the time, I was the only person there. As I have told you
during months of interrogation that you subjected me to, I don’t want to change
my statement.”
Tenpa and lobsang Gyatso, both monks of Kirti monastery who were
arrested following Kunchok’s self-immolation are still being kept in detention
and identity of five other detainees who were arrested with them remains
unknown, according to Kungam.
Kungam’s family has been resisting Chinese government’s
repressive rule in Tibet for the past three generations and often paid the
price in the form of imprisonment, torture and even life.
“Our family hails from Gestang village, Meruma, Ngaba County,
Amdo, Tibet. My grandfather Gepe Lila was sentenced to nine years in prison by
the Chinese government. He died while in prison. My grandmother was accused of
‘wearing criminal black hat.’ She died out of torture. My father, Gerig, was
beaten severely for a month. He was accused of denouncing China’s patriotic re-education
campaign in a leaflet he pasted on the walls on 12 March 1998. He was arrested
and tortured for the second time on 17 March 2008. Then he was sentenced and
beaten for a year for releasing information about the self-immolation of Kirti
monastery’s monk Lobsang Phunstok on 19 March 2011. My mother, Donkho, too was
beaten and detained for several days. My sister Metok was arrested and
detained. She was beaten so severely that her brain got damaged. During that
time many relatives of mine had to flee Tibet into exile. Therefore the whole
generation of my family have been tortured and imprisoned by the Chinese
government,” Kungam said at the press conference, recalling the harsh events
his family had to go through in the past.
Pasang Tsewang, President of Gu-Chu-Sum movement of the Tibet
urged the Chinese government under the leadership of Xi Jinping to stand up to
their repeated assertion of ‘national unity’ and ‘ethnic harmony’ and release
the three Tibetans as well as other prisoners of conscience in Tibet. He also
appealed to the international community and special rapporteurs of UN and
various nations to urge the Chinese government to release all Tibetan prisoners
of conscience.
“Today, taking this opportunity, Gu-Chu-Sum Movement Association
of Tibet appeals the People’s Republic of China under the leadership of Xi
Jiping to stand up to the repeated assertion of “national unity” and “ethnic
harmony”. We urge you to implement the recent endorsement of “rule of law” in
the Fourth Plenary session of the 18th CPC Central Committees and release the
innocent Dolma Tso, Konme and Gephel and other Tibetan prisoners of conscience
in Tibet,” said Pasang Tsewang.
“We request the governments across the globe, United Nations and
the truth and equality loving people of the world to support this cause. We
especially request the special rapporteurs of UN and the various nations going
to Tibet to emphasize on the unconditional release of the Tibetan prisoners of
conscience,” Pasang Tsewang further added.
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