Two Tibetans sentenced to ten years imprisonment in Driru April 04, 2014 02:03] DHARAMSHALA, APRIL 4: Chinese authorities in Driru County in the traditional Tibetan province of Kham have sentenced two Tibetan village leaders to ten years’ imprisonment, the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy said. Ngangtak, 54, and Rigsal, 31, were sentenced by a Chinese court on January 17, 2014, allegedly for not fulfilling their duties as leaders of Mokhyim village in making the residents obey Chinese government orders to fly Chinese National flag atop their houses in September last year. Ngangtak was accused of instigating fellow villagers against the Chinese authorities, the TCHRD said. Citing a Tibetan source, the TCHRD said both men were detained on November 24 last year and their whereabouts remained unknown since then. “Family members of both men were not informed about the detention and subsequent sentencing. News of their sentencing became known through unnamed sources in Driru County Public Security Bureau (PSB) office.” The same source said both men were punished for failing to suppress protests that erupted in Mokhyim last year after local Tibetans defied official orders to hoist five-starred Chinese National flags on their rooftops. Residents of Mokhyim Village also took part in a protest last year in Driru County town when about 1,000 Tibetans from different villages assembled to protest Chinas “mass line” campaign. Ngangtak was also accused of holding a secret “political meeting” with 17 others at his home last year. The TCHRD also said another Tibetan man named Trigyal from the same village has been sentenced to 13 years in prison. He has a wife and five children, said TCHRD. Ngangtak has been a village leader of Mokhyim since 1980. Rigsal became a village leader around 2007. Chinese authorities in Driru issued orders to the Tibetans to fly the Chinese national flag on their houses weeks before Chinese national day celebrations, leading to a standoff between Tibetans and security forces. Hundreds of Tibetans from various villages of Driru were arrested for defying the order since September last year.
Posted on: Fri, 04 Apr 2014 05:00:27 +0000
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