Tibetan monk sentenced to 11 yrs term in immolation case

A Ngaba (Ch: Aba) Prefecture Court today sentenced Tsundue (Ch: Drungdru), a Tibetan monk, to 11 years imprisonment term charging him of ‘intentional homicide’ for hiding Phuntsog and preventing him from getting medical treatment after he set himself on fire, State news agency Xinhua reported on 29 August 2011.

On 28 August the same State news agency (Xinhua) said that three Tibetan monks charged with ‘intentional homicide’ for the immolation of Phuntsog will be tried on 29th and 30th of August. The other two monks are to be sentenced tomorrow.

Tsundue is 46 years old and a monk at the Kirti Monastery, Ngaba, Sichuan Province. He is the uncle and teacher of the deceased Phuntsok a 22 years old, who self immolated on 16 March this year. On 20 March, Tsundue was arrested by the Chinese Authorities and was released after a brief detention. He was arrested again on 12 April until his court trail today.

TCHRD views such false charges and accusation of murder as unjust. The self immolation of monk Phuntsog drew much international attention to the grave human rights situation in Tibet. Such unfortunate incident was a result of desperation and an act to protest repressive Chinese policies in Tibet.