By Tenzin Monlam
DHARAMSHALA, May 13: A Tibetan monk of Ngaba Kirti monastery, currently serving his sentence of thirteen years’ imprisonment in Ngaba, eastern Tibet, is said to be in a critical health.
Family and relatives of Lobsang Choedhar have expressed concern over his health which has been deteriorating in prison due to extreme torture.
Lobsang was arrested by the Chinese authorities on September 25, 2009.
During the pan-Tibet protest of 2008, Lobsang led a protest against the Chinese rule in Tibet in front of the local administration on March 16, 2008 calling for the return of exiled Tibetan leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama and to release the 11th Panchen Lama Gendun Choekyi Nyima.
The local police could not apprehend the monk immediately. However, they picked up four of his relatives from their home for questioning. They were later released with warning against travelling.
News about him emerged only after his sentencing was made public. He was charged with involvement in “separatist activities”.
Lobsang was previously arrested for protesting the patriotic education campaign when it was first introduced in his monastery. He had pasted posters expressing his distress over the political situation of the Tibetans.
He was slapped with five years’ sentence and was released in 2008. However, Lobsang, in his 7th year of his current sentence, is in a worsening physical condition, sources say.
