By Tenzin Dharpo
DHARAMSHALA, APR. 29: Three monks accused of being ring-leaders during the 2008 uprising in Tibet have been released after serving majority of their prison terms. The three monks, all belonging to the Tsang Monastery located in Malho (Ch: Henan) County in Malho Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province have been released, rights group Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy reported.
Choktrin Gyasto and Khedup Gyatso were each sentenced to 10 years and Tsulsang Gyatso was given 9 years after being arrested in the crackdown in the aftermath of the 2008 pan Tibet uprising. They were convicted of having “illegal contacts with those outside Tibet and acting as the ringleaders of a mass protest in Malho”.
Choktrin Gyatso, a monk from Tsang monastery in Gepasumdo County, was released from Chinese prison on 15 April, Dorjee Tsering of the Dharamsala-based GuChuSum association for former Tibetan political prisoners, told RFA. Gyatso who was arrested during the crackdown post the 2008 uprising in Tibet served nine years out of his ten years’ sentence in Chinese prison. His release in the dead of night, TCHRD stated, was a premeditated move by Chinese authorities to avoid mass gatherings waiting to welcome the monk and take photos.
Choktrin Gyatso also known as Choktrul Gyatso from Arik village in Malho Autonomous Prefecture, Qinghai Province is the fifth child among the nine siblings born to late Lobe and Tsering Dolma. Gyatso had stayed in exile in India at the monastic establishment of Sera in South India for over three years from 2002, before returning back to his native.
His two colleagues were reportedly released in March last year after their sentences were reduced by a year by the authorities.
Sershong nomadic camp in Arig Nyetha Township native, Tsulsang Gyatso, 30, is the youngest among three siblings of his parents Pagdo and Tagu. Gyatso returned to Tibet in 2007 after studying at Sera Jey Monastery in South India for three years.
Khedup Gyatso, 33, from Jomo nomadic camp no. 2 in Arig Nyetha Township is the fifth child among seven siblings of his parents Kunchok Kelsang and Dekho. He too studied at Sera Jey from 2004 to 2007.
The arrest of the three monks was protested by their colleagues from Tsang monastery in March 2012. The protest was participated by hundreds of local Tibetans in Malho. One of the demands raised by the protesters was the release of Choktrin Gyatso, Tsulsang Gyatso and Khedup Gyatso.
