A court in China has sentenced a leading Tibetan monk to eight years and six months' imprisonment on counts including possession of ammunition. He denies the charges. It is not known whether 53-year-old Phurbu Tsering, also known as Buramna Rinpoche, will appeal against the verdict.
About 100 bullets were found at his home in Ganzi in Sichuan province at the beginning of 2009. Human rights groups say the bullets were planted by police in an attempt to silence the monk, one of the most revered Buddhist clerics in Ganzi.
The region borders Tibet itself and anti-Chinese rioting by ethnic Tibetans, who make up the overwhelming majority of Ganzi's population, had swept through the region in 2008. In Tibet itself, over 200 people died in the disturbances in the capital Lhasa and nearly 6000 people were arrested by the Chinese authorities. Many Buddhist monks were given lengthy sentences.
photo: Tibetan Buddhist monks (flickr / jazzmodeus)
Tibetan Buddhist monks (flickr / jazzmodeus)
Email this Article
Printer-friendly version
I hope that monk will get his freedom back, it's hard to imagine that these accusations are true. Tibetan monks had a hard time in the last year but they still have their wisdom for guidance.
Rogger at Church of Shambhala
All the riots of tibetains shoud be sentenced to death!
They dreamed of spliting unified China, so ther are traitors of China!
as an ordinary chinese, I hate any forms of spliting actions and turmoils of traitors~
Post new comment
Please be reminded all comments must be in English, short and to the point - guideline 250 words. Abusive and inappropriate comments will be removed.