Dharamshala: - A court in China has handed down heavy sentence to an elder Tibetan man for allegedly attempting to protect body of a 29-year old Tibetan monk who set himself ablaze in last year, in protest against Chinese repressive and hardline policies in Tibet.
"On May 20, 2013, the Intermediate People's Court in Chengdu, China's Sichuan Province has sentenced Dortruk, a 57-year old Tibetan man to 10-years in jail and deprived his political rights for six years," sources told The Tibet Post International (TPI), citing contacts in the region.
According to the sources, "Dortruk was charged over accusation of taking Gedun's body from Chinese security personals and for taking part in in widespread protests all over the Tibet in 2008 and 2009."
"Dortruk is from Golok Pema Dzong, Amdho Province, eastern Tibet who disappeared after arrested by Chinese police on December 3, 2012. He was arrested when Lobsang Gedun, a 29-year-old Tibetan monk self-immolated in Golok Pema Dzong in eastern Tibet." Sources said, local Tibetans protected his body from Chinese authorities shortly after the protest. The Chinese security personnel had tried to confiscate Gedun's body.
Dortruk is a farmer in Golok Pema County. His wife's name is Karma Kyid and they have one son and one daughter, Konchok Dorjee, 13, and Kalsang Dolma, 19, according to sources.
In recent months, the Chinese government has intensified its crackdown in eastern Tibet, in an effort to stop Tibetans from protesting, particularly from self-immolating, and to prevent information of protests from spreading.
After Tenzin Sherab's self-immolation protest, source also told the TPI that "the Chinese authorities placed his family under tight surveillance and control and the family were questioned on why they thought Sherab had self-immolated."
Latest sources stated that a heavy Chinese military personals were immediately deployed near Onpo Monastery to ban traditional funeral and prayer services for the self-immolator- Sherab. Chinese officials cut off mobile phone and internet connections to areas. "Every cell-phones of Tibetans in the county are thoroughly investigated,' sources added.
In January 2012, Chinese security forces have detained 7 laymen and a monk in a protest consisting of hundreds of Tibetans in Pema Dzong in Golok, eastern Tibet. The protesters were demanding the withdrawal of security and military forces that have been deployed around two area monasteries, and the detention and interrogation of many senior monks and local Tibetans.
At least 118 Tibetans have set themselves on fire to protest against Chinese rule since 2009, with 101 of them have died as a result of their severe injury. The self-mmolators have called the return of the spiritual leader of Tibet, His Holiness The 14th Dalai Lama and freedom in all parts of the three traditional provinces in Tibet.
