By Tenzin Monlam
DHARAMSHALA, April 1: A Tibetan monk who survived a self-immolation attempt in Ngaba County in 2011 has been released late last month after spending over five years in a Chinese prison, Radio Free Asia reported.
A source told RFA that the Chinese police took Lobsang Kunchok on March 28, the day he was released, to a nomadic area far from his family home.
Though his prison term finished early last month, the Kirti Monastery monk’s release was delayed as a precautionary measure due to the politically sensitive month of March.
The authorities tried to keep the news of his release under wraps but a friend of his had met him on March 29 after knowing of his release from Sichuan’s Deyang prison.
“His relatives were not informed of the date of his release, and no one was allowed to go to welcome him,” RFA’s source said, “The authorities are not permitting him to visit his home in Ngaba’s Meruma township and are keeping him secluded from the public in a nomadic place far away.”
Konchok and another monk named Lobsang Kalsang set themselves ablaze at on September 26, 2011 in Ngaba town. The two young monks raised slogans calling for the long-life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and religious freedom in Tibet as they were burning.
Lobsang Kalsang died on the spot while Konchok was taken to a hospital in Barkham County of Sichuan province for treatment. Owing to the injuries sustained during the self-immolation, Kunchok’s leg had to be amputated.
The source also said that the monk was subjected to severe torture during his time in prison. As of now there are no news on his physical condition. Both monks were teenagers when they carried out their self immolation protest. Since 2009, 147 Tibetans have resorted to self-immolation as a form of protest against the Chinese rule in Tibet.
