By Tenzin Monlam
DHARAMSHALA, August 22: A senior monk from Lithang Monastery and nephew of former political prisoner Rungye Adak has been released late last night after completing his prison sentence of 10 years.
According to Atruk Tseten, a close relative of Runggye Adak and a member of the Tibetan Parliament-in-Exile, he was released on August 21 at around 11 p.m. (local time). However, his present physical condition and other details could not be ascertained as of now.
Monk Adak Lopoe was sentenced to 10 years in 2007 under the charges of ‘colluding with foreign separatist force to split the country,’ following Rungye Adak’s bold and impromptu speech during the Lithang horse racing festival on August 1, 2007.
In the speech, the then 50-year-old Rungye Adak called for the return of the exiled Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama and release of the 11th Panchen Lama Gendhun Choekyi Nyima and (late) Tulku Tenzin Delek Rinpoche in front of the Chinese officials and thousands of Tibetans attending the festival.
Adak Lopoe was convicted along with Tibet singer Kunkhyen, who got a nine years imprisonment sentence and Jarib Lothok who received a three-year sentence for helping to send photos abroad.
Rungye Adak was immediately arrested after his impromptu speech and was sentenced to eight years in prison on charges of ‘provocation to subvert state power’.
Similar to the release of Adak Lopoe, Rungye was also released at around midnight in 2015 after completing his eight-year sentence from Mianyang prison.
