DHARAMSHALA, Nov. 10: The Barkham County People’s Intermediate Court has on Nov. 7 sentenced two monks of Ngaba Kirti monastery up to three years in prison on charges of ‘separatist activities’ and ‘plotting against the nation’, the most common charges levied against Tibetans involved in protests.
Lobsang Tenpa, a 19 year old monk of Ngaba Kirti monastery, draped around his head a hand-drawn Tibetan national flag and carried a large picture of the exiled Tibetan leader the Dalai Lama and walked along the main street of Ngaba leading towards the County administration shouting slogans against the Chinese government’s repressive policies in Tibet on April 26 this year.
Lobsang Tenpa was arrested minutes after his solitary protest, during which he called for ‘freedom in Tibet and return to Tibet of the Tibetan leader Dalai Lama whom Beijing reviles as a “monk in wolf’s robes.
Lobsang joined Kirti Monastery as a child and was in the ninth grade of the monastic education. His father Ngagchung, mother Dolma Choekho and an elder brother live in village number two of Meuruma Township in Ngaba County.
Another monk named Lobsang Gyatso of Ngaba Kirti Monastery, was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment by the Barkham County Intermediate People’s Court.
Lobsang Gyatso also used a self-drawn Tibetan national flag with which he walked into the streets of Ngaba shouting slogans. He called for “freedom in Tibet” and “return of the Dalai Lama”, a Tibetan source based in exile said. He was arrested on April 15 this year.
Lobsang hails from 3rd Ruchen of Meuruma township in Ngaba, and is son of Betse (father) and Shichung (mother). He was also studying in the ninth grade of monastic education.
Ngaba was at the heart of major anti government protests by Tibetans since 2008.
