ACTION: Two teenage monks jailed for peaceful protests |
[17 December 2015] Two young Tibetan monks have been sentenced for up to four years in prison for undertaking peaceful protests earlier this year. The two monks from Kirti monastery in Ngaba staged independent protests in March and were sentenced in separate trials in late October and early November. Click here to take action ![]() Gendun was held incommunicado until his trial in late October. He was sentenced to four years' imprisonment, however, further details of the trial and charges remain unclear. It is known the trial took place in Tashiling (Ch: Li) county, Ngaba prefecture and he was subsequently taken to Mianyang prison near Chengdu. ![]() As with Gendun, Lobsang was held incommunicado until his trial, which was held in Tashiling county on 2 November 2015. Lobsang was sentenced to three and a half years imprisonment. No further details are known of his trial or charges. Lobsang is also understood to have been taken to Mianyang prison. Both Gendun and Lobsang joined Kirti monastery at a young age. Gendun was studying Buddhist philosophy and culture and Lobsang was training in Buddhist studies. Kirti monastery has seen numerous monks arrested and sentenced for peaceful demonstrations in recent years and at least 14 Kirti monks have self-immolated in protest against China's harsh policies. As with all trials in Tibet for alleged political crimes, it is feared there was a lack of due process in Gendun and Lobsang's cases. Many Tibetan defendants are not allowed legal representation of their own choosing, torture is routinely used to extract confessions and trials are often held behind closed doors. Further reading: TCHRD I Phayul I Tibet Post Take Action Write to the Chinese Ambassador in the UK, Mr Liu Xiaoming, urging the Chinese government to: ► immediately release Gendun Phuntsok and Lobsang Kalsang, two teenage monks from Kirti monastery in Sichuan, given they were arrested for simply peacefully expressing their views, a right guaranteed under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; ► ensure Gendun Phuntsok and Lobsang Kalsang are not ill-treated or subject to torture whilst in prison; ► allow regular visits by family and friends whilst they remain in prison and have access to their lawyers; ► disclose the charges brought against Gendun Phuntsok and Lobsang Kalsang; ► ensure trials are held in accordance with international judicial norms, held in an open and transparent manner and defendants allowed legal representation of their own choosing. Chinese Ambassador to the UK Ambassador Liu Xiaoming Chinese Embassy 49-51 Portland Place London W1B 1JL Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it (Note: this email is currently bouncing. Please try This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .) Salutation: Your Excellency Outside the UK: check the Chinese government's webpage listing embassies for contact details of your nearest ambassador and embassy. Note: The Chinese government occasionally disables email addresses (so your email is returned). If that happens please try This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . If these fail please send a letter. If you receive a reply to your email or letter, please send a copy to Tibet Society, as this helps us to monitor the situation. Click here for Tibet Society contact details. Tibet Society, the world’s first Tibet support group, was founded in 1959. Funded by its members, it has been working for over 50 years to seek justice for Tibet through parliamentary lobbying, campaigns and actions. Help keep Tibet alive by joining Tibet Society today. Annual membership £24; Family £36; Life £500. ![]() More details about membership |