Imprisoned Labrang Monk in Critical Health Condition

Thapkay Gyatso, a Tibetan monk from Labrang monastery, serving 15 years sentence in a Chinese prison in Gansu Province, is feared to be in critical health condition due to years of torture.

According to information received by TCHRD, a friend who visited Thapkay Gyatso in July this year reported that Thapkay is imprisoned in a place called Dianxin, 100 kilometers away from Lanzhou city in Gansu Province. The friend also said that Thapkey is half-paralyzed and is suffering from weak eyesight.

Thapkay was arrested in the evening of 18 March 2008 by the People’s Armed Police and Public Security Bureau police from Labrang Monastery. For around a year, Thapkay went “missing” without any information until his hearing. On 19 May 2009, Kanlho Prefecture People’s Intermediate Court charged him for “causing harm to national security” and sentenced him to 15 years imprisonment.

Thapkay, aged 34, was born in Sangkhog Village, Sangchu County, Labrang. His father’s name is Naga. As a child, Thapkay went to primary school and the County Middle school. After finishing his studies, he was ordained as a monk at Labrang Monastery. He also liked to write. His essays were published in the local newsletters and magazines with penname Amalha.