China jails 2 Tibetan monks for praying for self-immolator 

(TibetanReview.net, Jun06, 2013) – Chinese authorities in Qinghai province have jailed two young Tibetan monks for three years each on Apr 18 for having led the funeral service for a fellow-Tibetan who had died in a self-immolation protest on Nov 19 last year, reported Radio Free Asia (RFA, Washington) Jun 4. The deceased, Wangchen Norbu, 25, had carried out the self-immolation at Kangtsa Township in Yazi (Chinese: Xunhua) County of Tsoshar (Haidong) prefecture, shouting for the Dalai Lama’s return from exile and for freedom in Tibet.

The report said Tsondru was charged with having led the prayer services at the funeral ceremony held at Beudo Monastery. Gendun Tsultrim was accused of having solicited donations and organized bus travel for attending monks. Both were held on Nov 21.

The two were charged and sentenced despite appeals from the monastic community and other local Tibetans, urging the authorities to release them. Dharmsala-based Tibetan centre for Human Rights and Democracy said Jun 5 that the two monks were held, along with an unknown number of other monks and lay people, while holding a prayer service at a spot called Sergye Nagya where Chinese police had stopped them from continuing to Wangchen Norbu’s house.

The two have been taken to the provincial capital Xining to serve their jail sentence, with their families being still denied visitation permits. They had remained disappeared ever since they were taken into custody despite the fact that their families, accompanied by lamas of Beudo Monastery and other local community leaders approached the County government office at least five times to enquire about their whereabouts. They were only told that the monks were being held in Yazi County.