21 June 2002, Dharamsala, India: According to reliable information received from Tibet, local Tibetans of Rongbatsang District are gravely concerned about Geshe Sonam Phuntsok's continued detention although an official announcement has been made.

On 21 May 2002, three high-level Karze officials arrived at Rongbatsang District, hometown of Geshe Sonam Phuntsok, to address a public meeting at the Sub-District office. One of the three officials is Lolong Ta, the second head of Karze County, and the other two are subordinate officials.

The visiting officials addressed the crowd and announced possible release of Geshe Sonam Phuntsok. They said, "when Geshe is released, nobody should show any sign of delight nor resort to any protest measures. Owing to the news, if anyone creates any disturbance, it shall be deemed as protest against the motherland and the culprit shall be accordingly punished."

"It has now been a month since the announcement was made but Geshe is still not released. We have now come to believe that the announcement was made to fool the general public. It is a well-chalked out plan by the Chinese authorities to create panic amongst the followers and supporters of Geshe. Some people say that the announcement was a deliberate move to test public reaction about the news and to observe their activities as a result of such an announcement. Their intention was not actually to release Geshe," commented one local Tibetan.

This is corroborated by the fact that one of Geshe's close relatives visited Geshe in Chuangdong Prison no.3 in May 2002. The head of Chuangdong Prison, Yonten, reportedly told the relative that "Geshe will not be released because he has a sentence to complete. Unless there is some specific order from higher authorities in Beijing, he could not be released at all."

Reports indicate that Geshe Sonam Phuntsok continues to be interrogated three times a week although it appears that he has recovered slightly from his earlier illness. There is reportedly renewed heightened security arrangement in the prison. Geshe is interrogated with questions such as "What is the basis of Buddhism that you all Tibetans are so devoted to? What are the things you say to your followers when you conduct religious ceremonies before? Do you love the Chinese motherland? How do Tibetans respect the Dalai Lama? What is your personal opinion about the teachings of the Dalai Lama?

Geshe Sonam Phuntsok is revered as a great Buddhist practitioner and scholar in the Karze region. On 25 October 1999, Geshe was arrested and detained in Dartsedo Prison in Dartsedo County, Karze "TAP", for one year and four months. In March 2001, Geshe was formally sentenced to five years' imprisonment. He was accused of "inciting splittist activities among the masses, seeking an audience with the Dalai Lama and for conducting long-life prayer ceremony for the Dalai Lama" among other charges.

In December 2001, TCHRD received information about Geshe's serious ill health. Geshe, at that time, was suffering from high fever, diarrhoea, dizziness and lethargy. Although on two occasions, Geshe was taken to a nearby military hospital, kept on three IV drips and hospitalised for seven hours, it did not bring about much improvement. In June 2002, it came to be known that Geshe has ulcer and low blood pressure but reportedly out of danger.