DHARAMSHALA, February 7: A Tibetan protester arrested last year in an anti-mining protest in Tibet’s Driru County has been reportedly tortured to death in Chinese police custody Driru County of Nagchu prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region.
According to the reports, Kunchok Dhakpa in his 20’s from Chana town in Driru was detained last year for allegedly leading one of the year’s largest protests against Chinese mining activities at the sacred Naglha Dzamba Mountain in Driru County.
He was subjected to torture and later succumbed to injuries sustained from torture in prison, a Tibetan from Driru living in Europe told RFA. His body was handed over to his family on December 28.
On December 19, 2013, Three Tibetans from Driru have been sentenced to varying prison terms up to thirteen years by Driru County People’s Court on charges of instigating an anti-mining protest at Ngalha Dzambha Mountain.
In May 2013, about 5000 Tibetans protested against a Chinese mining company making preparations to build roads and set up power lines at the sacred mountain on the “pretext of building hydroelectric projects”.
