Xinhua is the official news aganecy of the People's Republic of China

Published by: World Tibet Network News Friday - May 9, 1997

Lhasa, 7th May: The Intermediate People's Court of the Tibet

Autonomous Region's Xigaze [Shigatse] Prefecture 21st April passed a

judgment on the case of Qiazha Qiangbachilie [Chadrel Jampa Thinley

known by his religious title of Chadrel Rinpoche]. The defendant,

Qiazha Qiangbachilie, was sentenced to five years'imprisonment and

three years' deprivation of political rights on charges of conspiracy

to split the nation, and two years' imprisonment on charges of

betrayal of state secrets. It was decided that he would serve six

years'imprisonment and three years' deprivation of political rights.

Qiazha Qiangbachilie, 58, was a former vice-chairman of the Chinese

People's Political Consultative Conference Tibet Regional Committee

and former chairman of the Democratic Management Committee of the

Tashilhunpo Lamasery. Having heard and investigated the case, the

court ruled that Qiazha Qiangbachilie, together with Qiangbaqiong

[Champa Chung], former deputy director of the Management Bureau of

Xigaze's Deqinsangpozhang [Dechenzang Phodrang], and Sangzhu

[Samdrup], former general manager of Tibet Gangjian Company's Zhangmu

branch, is guilty of colluding with splittist forces outside the

region, causing serious damage to the nation's reunification and

ethnic unity, and disrupting Tibet's stability and development. Their

actions constituted the crime of conspiracy to split the nation. In

light of the specific details of the case, the court lightened, by

law, the penalties on the three defendants for charges of conspiracy

to split the nation. By betraying state secrets, Qiazha Qiangbachilie

and Qiangbaqiong were also found guilty of violating the laws and

regulations on state secrets, constituting the crime of betrayal of

state secrets. Qiazha Qiangbachilie, Qiangbaqiong and Sangzhu

confessed to each of the above mentioned actions. In accordance with

Article 92, Section One of Article 186, Article 23, Article 24,

Article 51, Article 52, Article 64 and Section Two of Article 59 of

the "PRC Criminal Law" , Xigaze Prefecture Intermediate People's

Court made the above verdict on Qiazha Qiangbachilie, and sentenced

by law, Qiangbaqiong and Sangzhu to four years' imprisonment with two

years'deprivation of political rights, and two years' imprisonment

with one year's deprivation of political rights respectively.

It was understood that because the case of Qiazha Qiangbachilie and

Qiangbaqiong betraying state secrets involved state secrets, and in

accordance with Section One of Article 152 of the "PRC Criminal

Procedure Law" , a public hearing would not be held, and the reason

was announced to the defendants in court. Because Qiazha

Qiangbachilie and Qiangbaqiong indicated that they would not be

represented by lawyers, both defendants exercised by law their rights

to defend themselves in court. Sangzhu, however, entrusted a lawyer

to defend for him in court. After the debate, the three defendants

made their final statements. The judgment for the case was announced

in public. All three defendants accepted the verdict and did not

lodge any appeals. The above verdict went into effect by law on 5th

May.

Source: Xinhua news agency for Hong Kong, Beijing, in Chinese 0510

gmt 7 May 97