DHARAMSALA, March 31, 1996,(DIIR) -- According to our sources, nine monks of Palgon Chorten at Gyangtse Dzong (District) under Shigatse administration were arrested in January 1996. The monks allegedly bought pictures of the Chinese appointed Panchen's Lama's reincarnation, Gyaltsen Norbu and then burnt the pictures displaying open rejection.

The pictures of the Chinese appointed rival Panchen Lama had been sold by a staff of the Public Security Bureau.

Chadrel Rinpoche's Friend Arrested: On January 18, 1996, a monk and a layman were arrested in Shigatse. The two were accused of having communicated with His Holiness the Dalai Lama regarding the reincarnation of the Panchen Lama.

The monk has been identified as a friend of Chadrel Rinpoche. Chadrel Rinpoche was himself arrested on May 17, 1995, along with his attendant Chung-lag soon after the announcement of the Panchen Lama reincarnation by His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

The whereabouts of the two arrested are not known.

Lithang Monks Receive Sentence:

In our June 3, 1994 Update, the Human Rights Desk reported the arrest of five Lithang monks. The Human Rights Desk has received reports of the sentence of three of the monks.

Background:

On August 20, 1993, five monks of Ghemo Monastery in Lithang Dzong under Karze administration were reportedly arrested for "launching a massive wall-poster campaign on Tibetan independence in Lithang region". The monks Jamyang Dhondup, Jamchok, Ngawang Choephel, Lobsang and Norbu Lhadar were detained at the Lithang Dzong Prison. However, two-three days later, Norbu Lhadar's relatives were informed by the prison authorities that he had committed suicide while in prison. Norbu Lhadar's relatives had refused to believe the Chinese police story saying that when he was arrested he was in good shape. They accused the Chinese of having tortured him to death. It is to be noted that no sentence had been passed at the time of his death.

According to our sources, three monks who were arrested along with Norbu Lhadar have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from 5-10 years.

Ngawang Choephel (31) received a sentence of 10 years while his friends Lobsang (30) and Jamyang Dhondup (31) were sentenced to 7 and 5 years in prison.

Rakyab Monks Released from Prison

We have received news that Lobsang Dhargye a Rakyab Monastery monk has been released from prison. Lobsang Dhargye, was released from Golok regional Prison in Tsongon District, Amdo in May 1995.

Background:

Lobsang Dhargye, a 31 year-old monk of Rakyab Monastery was arrested in Oct/Nov of 1992. Lobsang Dhargye was accused of having put up wall posters calling for a free Tibet and distributing pamphlets that contained the Tibetan national flag on the occasion of Shingseb Pandita Rinpoche's enthronement ceremony at Rakyab Monastery, where more than ten thousand Tibetans had gathered to witness the event.

While in prison, Lobsang Dhargye on being repeatedly tortured confessed to all the accusations but refused to divulge the names of his accomplices. Instead he sent a message to two of his friends involved in the poster campaign asking them to escape to India before they were arrested by the Chinese authorities.

Lobsang Dhargye's two friends are presently in Sera Monastery, in South India.

At the time of his release, Lobsang Dhargye had finished serving a prison sentence of two and a half years. It has been reported that he was severely tortured while in prison.

Gendun Tenpa, a monk of Rakyab Monastery and Tsultrim Tenpa, a layman were both released from prison in December 1994, after serving a sentence of six years each. They were both arrested in June/July, 1994.

Two Rakyab Monks Sentenced to Labour Camp

According to our sources, Lobsang Tenpa and Paldan Sangpo both monks of Rakyab Monastery have been sentenced to hard labour.

Lobsang Tenpa, and Palden Sangpo, both monks of Rakyab Monastery were accused of having put up wall posters outside Chinese police headquarters in Machen Dzong, Golog Region. The Posters called for a free Tibet; demanded the release of Lobsang Dhargye and demanded that the Chinese Huis leave from Machen Dzong. Both Lobsang Tenpa and Palden Sangpo were arrested in June/July, 1994.

According to recent reports, Lobsang Tenpa and Palden Sangpo are both serving a 3-year sentence in "Thang Karma Nyetsul Gyurkoe Khang (Labour Camp) in Tsolho, Chabja Dzong.

Two Rakyab Monks Arrested in late 1995:

According to belated news, received by the Human Rights Desk, two monks of Rakyab Monastery were arrested in late 1995.

Our sources confirm the arrest of Tsultrim Dhargye and Gendun Jamyang, both monks of Rakyab Monastery in Oct/Nov, 1995. At present the two monks are reportedly in Golog Prison in Amdo Province.

Background: Tsultrim Dhargye has been arrested and imprisoned on three prior occasions. He was first arrested on July 5, 1993 at Dram (border town between Tibet and Nepal) and was imprisoned first at Nyari Prison, Shigatse for three and a half months and then at Shojo Prison in Tsongon, Amdo for two months. Sometime in April/May of 1994, Tsultrim Dhargye was once again arrested by the Public Security Bureau and detained in police custody at Machen Dzong, Amdo for fifteen days. Details of Tsultrim Dhargye's third arrest are not available. Subsequently, he was arrested for the fourth time in Oct/Nov, 1995 for allegedly putting up wall posters condemning Chinese occupation of Tibet, on the anniversary of the "Seventeen-Point Agreement : Agreement of the Central People's Government and the Local Government of Tibet on Measures for the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet -May 1951"

Note: The seventeen point agreement was signed by the Tibetan delegation under immense Chinese pressure.

Twenty-two year old Gendun Jamyang was arrested at the same time as Tsultrim Dhargye and is presently in Golog Prison.

For more information please contact:

Human Rights Desk Department of Information & International Relations

Central Tibetan Administration

Gangchen Kyishong

Dharamsala, Dist Kangra

H.P. India