According to reliable information received from Tibet,
Kardze Intermediate People's Court sentenced Lobsang Tenphen,* 38,
to five years' imprisonment in September 2003. Lobsang was charged
with propagating information about Trulku Tenzin Delek and late Lobsang Dhondup
to the outside world. He is currently incarcerated in Ngaba (Ch: Aba)
Prison in Sichuan Province.
Lobsang Tenphen disappeared since February 2003 until he was produced
before the court last month. It is learnt that he was arbitrarily
detained in Yakra Phuk Prison (Tib translit: g yag ra phuk) all
this while. On 12 February 2003, Lobsang was taken away from home
by six PSB officials for interrogations and was detained since
then. This is in direct contravention of International law and
Chinese national law. In both the laws, it has been specifically
stipulated that an arrestee shall not be arbitrarily detained and
the family of the arrestee shall be informed of his charges and
whereabouts. But in Lobsang's case, he has been detained without
anyone's notice. Article 9, subsection I, of the International
Covenant on Ci vil and Political Rights (ICCPR) stipulates,
"~ENo one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest or detention~E"
TCHRD has recorded 13 known Tibetans arrested in connection to
Trulku Tenzin Delek's case since April 2002. In January 2003,
Lobsang Dhondup was executed and two Tibetans, Lobsang Tenphen and
Luzi Tashi Phuntsok, still remain imprisoned. According to earlier
information received by TCHRD (press release dated 31 July 2003),
Luzi Tashi, who was released on 28 July 2003, is back in Chinese
custody again. It is learnt that Luzi Tashi was not able to pay the
bail amount and Nyakchukha County PSB denied accepting responsibility
of his release in the county.
Lobsang Tenphen was born in 1965 in Zhampa Township,
Lithang County. Early in life he assisted in family farm works and didn't
receive any education. When he was 19 years old, he started a small
business trading Yartsa Gunbu (a Tibetan medicinal plant, botanical
name: cordyceps sinensis) and animal hides. At 25, he married Sonam
Dolma, niece of Trulku Tenzin Delek and lived in his wife's home.
*The name Lobsang Tenphen was earlier mistakenly written as Taphel
when information regarding his disappearance first surfaced. For
related information, refer to:
Lobsang Tenphen, disappeared since February.
New arrests in connection with Trulku Tenzin Delek's case
