By Phurbu Thinley
Dharamsala, May 1: The Tibetan Government-in-Exile on Thursday issued a statement condemning a Chinese court’s jailing of 30 Tibetans, saying the trial was “not fair and transparent”.
“We strongly condemn the arbitrary sentences imposed on the 30 Tibetans involved in the recent protests in Tibet,” the Tibetan Government’s statement said.
The Intermediate People’s Court in Lhasa on Tuesday handed down terms of three years to life to Tibetans allegedly involved in recent anti-government unrest that began on March 10 in Lhasa and quickly spilled into other parts of Tibet, including Tibetan areas outside the so called Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR).
“The penalty imposed on the 30 Tibetans ranges from three years to life imprisonment for merely exercising their freedom of expression,” it said, adding “These sentences are disproportionate to what the Chinese authorities say are the ‘crimes’ they committed.”
“These trials were not fair and transparent, did not follow the due process of law and the accused were denied independent lawyers to defend their case,” the statement said.
The statement expressed fear that “many such arbitrary trials will follow to lock up all those Tibetans presently under detention”.
“All such future trials must be open and transparent. Those under trial deserve independent lawyers who can defend their case without fear and favour,” the statement demanded.
The statement urged the Chinese government to do away with its pretence of a fair trial and called for the immediate release of those Tibetans presently under detention.
“Most importantly we urge the Chinese government to do away with this pretence of a fair trial and release immediately all those Tibetans presently under detention” the statement from the Kashag (Cabinet) of the exiled Govt. said.
The Government, earlier on Tuesday, said more than 5,715 Tibetans are currently detained by Chinese authorities following demonstrations against Chinese rule in Tibet.
It also said as many as 203 Tibetans were confirmed killed following China’s brutal crackdown on Tibetan demonstrators across Tibet between March 10 and April 25.
“We confirm that the actual figure for the number of dead is 203, the number of injured is more than 1,000 and the number of those still detained is more than 5,715,” Mr Samphel, the spokesperson for the Tibetan Government, said on Tuesday.
