The Tibet Post

Dharamshala: Kirti Monastery's Emergency Coordination Committee today reported 3 Tibetans in Ngawa County were sentenced to between 6 and 13 years in prison due to their involvement in the 2008 Tibet protests.

Choedar, 35, and Jamyang Phuntsok, monks in Kirti Monastery from Jolep, Ngawa County were sentenced to 13 and 6 years in prison respectively. Jigme, 40, also from Jolep, was sentenced to 7 years.

Choedar was arrested in August 2009. He was detained without trail until 9 April 2010 when he received his sentence, charged with leading the 2008 protest and involvement with political actions. Before his capture, Chinese authorities issued a warrant for his capture, and offered between 200,000 and 300,000 Yuan as a reward for information leading directly to his arrest.

Solha and Dhunkho a couple with whom Choedar had been staying with while in hiding, were also arrested for providing him shelter. Solha has since been released but Dhunkho remains in detention without trail.

Choedar was previously arrested in 1998 for allegedly putting up pro-independence posters as the Chinese "Love Your Country, Love Your Religion" campaign was implemented by force in monasteries in Ngawa County.

Jigme was arrested on 7 February 2009. He was also detained without trial until 9 April 2010, when he was charged with leaking national security information since 2009. In 1992 he was detained for a year, after alleged pro-independence involvement.

Jamyang was abducted from his room by Chinese authorities on 3 March 2009. He was detained without trial until 9 April, when he was also charged with leaking national security information.

In 2009, Jamyang witnessed Chinese authorities shoot dead a fellow monk, Tabei, who was attempting to immolate himself in protest to Chinese oppression. Chinese state-run media Xinghua falsely reported that Jamyang Phuntsok, also known as Jangko, had fabricated the story in an attempt to discredit Chinese rule in Tibet.

The 3 Tibetans are the latest in a long chain of political arrests resulting from the 2008 Tibetan uprising against Chinese rule in many parts of Tibet.