DHARAMSHALA, January 2: A Chinese court in Tibet’s Sangchu County has sentenced a Tibetan monk to six years’ imprisonment on charges of ‘murder’. Gendun Gyatso, 48, was handed down the sentence by the Sangchu County People’s Court on Dec. 11, 2013.
Police alleged that Gendun Gyatso, a monk of Bora monastery in Labrang, prevented the police from extinguishing fire on the body of Sungdhue Kyab, a Tibetan who immolated himself on Dec. 2, 2012 on the main street in Bora town near the Bora Monastery.
However, family members of Kyab still don’t know if Kyab is alive or dead, according to a source. According to eyewitnesses, Sungdue Kyab was alive when Chinese security personnel took him away after the protest. Sources also said that Chinese authorities had sought signature of Kyab’s family members for an operation to amputate Kyab’s limbs.
Citing eye witnesses, the source said when Kyab saw Chinese security personnel approaching he began to smash his head against the wall. “By the time the police took him away, Kyab was badly burned and bleeding profusely from his head.”
A day after Kyab’s self immolation protest, Chinese police and government officials arrived at the Bora monastery and arrested five monks including Gendun Gyatso. The others arrested were Lobsang Phagpa, 35, Jamyang Soepa, 26, Jamyang Lodoe, and Jamyang Gyatso, both about 20.
