DHARAMSHALA, April 14: A Tibetan monk has been arrested last month but released after eleven days with order for pending arrest and sentencing.
Jigme Gyatso, the chant leader of Dethang monastery in Chone County, was arrested on March 9 from Labrang where he had traveled to offer prayers for his root guru Dethang Khen Rinpoche at Labrang Tashikhyil monastery, Sonam, a Tibetan living in Switzerland told the Voice of Tibet radio.
Jigme was later released on March 20, according to a paper handed to him, on grounds of his being a serving member of Dethang monastery’s administration as a chant leader. This is not a release order, the Tibetan source said, adding that the police letter clearly mentions that his trial and sentencing were pending, and shall resume after he quits his post as the chant leader of his monastery.
Jigme Gyatso, being a serving member of the monastery’s administration, has been let go off but shall be arrested again for further investigation and trial in court, he said.
Jigme had allegedly circulated pictures of the Tibetan national flag and posts critical of Chinese government policies on a WeChat group, a Chinese owned Micromessaging application widely used by Tibetans in exile and those in Tibet to communicate.
The county police had arrested Jigme as a precautionary measure against any plan by Jigme to protest on March 10, the 55th anniversary of the Tibetan uprising against China.
Jigme was arrested earlier by the Lhasa police on one of his visits to the Tibetan capital in 2012. He was jailed for a few days but later released.
Jigme was known popularly among people of Chone County for his social welfare works, including his campaign to introduce Tibetan language in primary schools in the County. He mobilized people with his talks about importance of fighting for the right of one’s language, and also submitted several appeals, resulting finally in the introduction of Tibetan in the schools since 2014.
