Harsh Penalties for Tibetans Accused of Connection to Deaths
Human Rights Watch http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/02/01/china-stop-sentencing-tibetans-inciting-immolations
1º February 2013
(New York) – Chinese judicial authorities should immediately release two Tibetans who were found guilty in trials based solely on confessions they made during five months of detention, said Human Rights Watch hoy. Human Rights Watch has documented the endemic use of torture, cruel treatment, inhuman or degrading, and coercion on Tibetans in detention.
He 31 of January of 2013, The Intermediate People's Court of Aba and Qiang Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture sentenced Lorang Konchok to death with a two-year suspension and his nephew, Tsering Dreaming, a 10 years in prison on charges of “intentional homicide” regarding protest self-immolations by other Tibetans.
“These accusations have no credibility at all”, said Sophie Richardson., director for China. “The Chinese government seems to think it can stop self-immolation by punishing anyone who talks about it.”. But in pursuing these cases of 'incitement', “The government aggravates the tragedy of these suicidal protests.”.
According to a Xinhua report from December 2012, Dreaming of Konchok , 41 years old, a monk from Kirti monastery, and his nephew, Dreaming of Tsering, of 31, an ex monje, They had been detained since August 2012. The same story, the first to confirm his arrest, also reported that Lorang Konchok had confessed. At the trial, Lorang Konchok was accused of being the main actor in receiving instructions from organizations associated with the Dalai Lama in India, and Lorang Tsering was accused of being his accomplice. Between the publication of the Xinhua article and the start of the trial, 26 of January of 2013, there was little additional information about his case, and it is not clear whether they had access to a lawyer during their detention.
According to Chinese state media reports, Both men confessed to trying to “sting” or “incite” eight people to commit self-immolation since the year 2010, three of whom died, on instructions from “the Dalai Lama clique.” Those confessions were made public in December, after the men had been detained for four months. According to state media, Lorang Konchok and Lorang Tsering did not present defenses and the lawyers assigned to them asked the court for leniency, based on your cooperation.
Since mid 2011, The Chinese government has detained and prosecuted at least a dozen people allegedly associated with the immolations.. Among them:
He 31 of January of 2013, six Tibetans were convicted by a Gansu court for their alleged involvement in the Dorje Rinchen self-immolation, In October of 2012. Four of the six were sentenced to sentences ranging from seven to twelve years for the crimes of “intentional homicide.”, based on claims that they had prevented police from reaching Rinchen. The other two were given three and four years in prison for blocking traffic after the immolation.. The Chinese authorities, they said 24 of January of 2013, that at least others 10 people in Gansu have been accused of “planning” or the “organization” of self-immolations, without giving more details;
He 25 of January of 2013, state media reported that Drolma Kyab, a “self-immolated potential”” and his “suspected inciter”, known as Pakpa, They were arrested for investigations related to the homicide;
In mid-January 2013, Four Kirti Tsodun monks were sentenced to prison on charges stemming from links to the monastery's monks, who self-immolated 2012. The four were arrested at the Kirti monastery, in August 2012, but the reasons for his arrest were not made clear at the time, and the monks were subsequently taken to an undisclosed location. According to family members and Kirti monks in exile who have passed on the information, the Barkham Intermediate People's Court in Ngaba (ch.:Aba) condemned Namsey, of 18 years, to ten years in prison; Yarphel, of 18 years, to six years; Lobsang Sengye, of 19 years, to two years, y Dog, of 22 years, two and a half years. Sources believe they were detained for their alleged involvement in self-immolations in protest by their fellow monks., in March and July 2012, but no other information is known;
In August 2012, another monk from Kirti Tsodun, Native Tenzin, was arrested. He has not yet been tried and remains in custody., the conditions, unknown;
In July 2012, three monks belonging to the Bongtak monastery in Tsonub prefecture (Ch. Haixi) in the province of Qinghai, were sentenced to sentences ranging from 9 a 11 years in prison in connection with the self-immolation death of another monk;
In September 2012, two monks of Kirti, a Ngaba (ch.: Aba) were sentenced to prison terms of between 8 and 11 years in connection with the self-immolation death of a fellow monk, In March of 2012;
At the end of June 2012, a week after Ngawang Norphel and Tenzin Khedup committed self-immolation together, Ngawang Norphel's wife, Drolma Dekyi, and two family members were detained for questioning;
In August 2011, penalties were given 10 and 13 years, to two monks from the Kirti monastery in Ngaba, for “intentional homicide” by not handing over a monk to the authorities after he had committed self-immolation, and at least four other people were convicted for sending photographs of self-immolators to exiles.
There are numerous reports of other arrests that have been made after the immolations, of companions and relatives of the monks, as an apparent deterrent against future immolations. However, detainees are often kept secret and information about them is difficult to obtain.
The self-immolations take place in the context of the Chinese government's long repressive policies in Tibetan areas, who have experienced severe restrictions on the rights of Tibetans. Statements left by some individuals clarify that their actions were protests against government policies.. The current wave of immolations began when the government repressed large-scale protests, mostly peaceful, against Chinese policies in 2008.
To date there has yet to be a concerted effort by the Chinese government to address the underlying grievances in Tibet., which have contributed to the increase in the number of self-immolations by Tibetans. The last of the 99 self-immolations, From the 22 February 2009, occurred on 22 of January of 2013. Konchok Kyab, of 26 years, died after setting himself on fire in Kanlho Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture (ch.: Gannan), In Gansu province.
“Sentencing someone to the death penalty, for supposedly inciting another person to commit suicide is neither fair nor respectful of the right to life.”, Richardson said.. “The current persecution of people linked to self-immolation appears to be to repress dissent and to place the blame for this tragedy on others.”. “It is time for China to respond to the claims and human rights violations that appear to be causing this tragic form of protest.”.
