Dharamshala: - The 58-year old Tibetan man, Runggye Adrak, who serves his 8-year of imprisonment, is facing serious health condition in Chinese prison and getting worse severely, according to sources from inside Tibet.
An incident that happened in Lithang County, eastern Tibet in 2007 was Tibetan nomad, Runggye Adrak's action when he stepped up on the stage at the official Lithang Horse Racing Festival and called for His Holiness the Dalai Lama's return to his country and for the release of the Panchen Lama and Tenzin Delek Rinpoche.
He also told the crowd that ‘although we are free to move our bodies, we cannot express what is in our hearts'.
Monday, August 6, Ven Atruk Tseten, a member of the Tibetan Parliament in exile, told The Tibet Post International (TPI) that since 2007, when Runggye Adrak was arrested by the Chinese Police and later sentenced for eight years of imprisonment, the health of Runggye has worsened severely.
Prisoner guards are said to beat Runggye and since his detention, as a result of harsh violence, became deaf and his vision was impaired. Tseten also added that Runggye has strong pain in his arms and legs, can not stand-up and walk easily.
"His family members are not allowed to visit him and are minimized in meeting him only once a year", he further added.
Re-education Campaign in Lithang County
Another source from inside Tibet said that the Chinese Government has conducted continuous re-education programs in Dzepa Township, in Lithang County, Kham Region of eastern Tibet, which were declined by local Tibetans.
On the 1st and 2nd of August of this year, Chinese Authorities and police in held meetings in three places Dzepa Township in order to ‘reeducate' these people. Authorities have ordered people to denounce His Holiness the Dalai Lama, according to the confirmed source from inside Tibet.
However, this re-education program, as the previous similar ones, was refused by Tibetans. Following this unsuccessful attempt, Chinese Authorities and police used the other common strategy- violence. Those who wore traditional Tibetan clothing got them ripped off.
Locals were beaten severely and the whole re-education program resulted in many people being injured, out of which two were sent to the local hospital due to serious wounds, and 10 detained in Dzepa Township. As for today, seven armed police trucks are deployed in the area and people are under heavy repression.
