Dharamshala — A Chinese Intermediate People's Court in Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Qinghai Province has sentenced a Tibetan writer and bloger to three years, for writings allegedly engaging in splittist activities, a Tibetan living in exile said.
Tibetan writer and blogger, Druklo, 32, who wrote under pen name 'Shokjang' has been sentenced to three years' imprisonment for leading "splittist movements" from 2008 and for writings allegedly engaging in splittist activities.
"Druklo was detained by Chinese security officials from a hotel in Rebkong County, Amdo Region of north-eastern Tibet, on March 18, 2015. Although the circumstances of his arrest are not known," Ven Jigme Gyatso, a Tibetan living in exile told The Tibet Post International (TPI).
"His family were also allowed to witness the trial, but it is unknown whether they are permitted to hire a lawyer to defend him," TPI's source said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Born in Khaja township, Gengya Yultso, Sangchu County near Labrang Monastery, northern-eastern Tibet, "Shokjang has complete his undergraduate studies at University in Lanzhou," he said.
Sources said that "as a student at the University, Shokjang written several articles about the situation in Tibet and he had won great respect from the Tibetan community. His writings including 'The Power of the Heart' and 'For the Freedom, I Have No Regrets,' against the injustice and repression under which Tibetan people live. However Many of his writings which were later confiscated by Chinese authorities."
"His wife's name is Lhamo Tsering and has a 4-year-old kid. His stepfather's name is Tamding and mother's name is Lhamo Kyi, Ven Jigme said.
After Shokjang's arrest and disappearance, sources reportedly said that "many of his fellow writers have expressed their solidarity with Shokjang and his innocence. About 30 articles which has been already posted on a number of social-networking websites."
Many Tibetans, including monks have been arrested and jailed in recent years for circulating information about protests and cases of self-immolation. More than 50 Tibetan dissents, including writers, bloggers, singers and environmentalists, have been detained or are imprisoned, mostly after sharing views or information about conditions in their homeland.
Chinese authorities barred foreign journalists from visiting Tibet after that March 2008 peaceful protests. Since then the regime has imposed severe restrictions on internet and phone connections by increasing a wider crackdown on communications across Tibet in an attempt to prevent any news reaching the outside world.
In Tibet today, Tibetans are being arbitrarily arrested, imprisoned and tortured for merely expressing their suffering under Chinese rule. However, authorities in Beijing still claim that "China 'peacefully liberated' Tibet, and that the "Tibetans are living in a Maoist socialist paradise."
Reporters Without Borders ranks China 175 out of 180 countries, for freedom of the press and Amnesty International calls China an "authoritarian state" as do the U.S. and EU.