Dharamshala: - Chinese authorities have sentenced four Tibetans to prison sentences of varying lengths by the Intermediate People's court in Reb-kong and Tse-khok in Malho (Incorporated into China's Quinghai Province) eastern Tibet.
Reports confirm that Yangkyab Gyal, Chakthar, Nankha Jam and Gonpo were sentenced for allegedly committing separatist activities as well as dispersing news and photos of Tibetan self immolators, according to the Central Tibetan Administration.
The sentences comprised of both prison terms and being stripped of political rights and were as follows:
Yangkyab Gyal was sentenced to 6 years in prison and stripped of his political rights for 3 years.
Chakhthar was sentenced to 4 years imprisonment and deprived of political rights for 2 years.
Namkha Jam was sentenced to 6 years and stripped of his political rights for 3 years.
Gonpo was sentenced to 3 years imprisonment and deprived of political rights for 2 years.
International organisations such as Human Rights Watch, (HRW), have condemned this practice of punishing anyone who spreads information about self immolations. Sophie Richardson, the China director of HRW had this to say over a similar recent case,
"The Chinese government seems to think it can stop self-immolation by punishing anyone who talks about it. But in pursuing these 'incitement' cases, the government compounds the tragedy of these suicide protests."
