Runggye Adak, a 52 year old nomad and father of three, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for calling for the return of the Dalai Lama and release of political prisoners.

The Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD) based in Dharamsala, India, expressed shock and condemnation over this swift and extremely harsh sentence.

The sentence was handed down by the Kardze Intermediate People’s Court based on charges of ‘inciting to split the country to undermine the country unity’ and ‘severely disrupting the public order’.

Runggye Adak was arrested after a peaceful solo demonstration on the 1st August 2007 at the popular Lithang horse festival in Kardze, within the Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan. Ronggye’s detention sparked protests followed by a vicious crackdown by local authorities.

Three other Tibetans were sentenced by the Kardze court on the same day. Adruk Lopoe, nephew of Ronggyal Adrak, received an even heavier sentence of ten years on charges of ‘colluding with foreign separatist forces to split the country and distributing political pamphlets’. Kuhkhen (‘Jacmyang Goingen), an artist arrested by Lithang County officials for unknown reasons was sentenced to nine years for ‘carrying our spilitist activities’ and another Tibetan named Lothok was sentenced to three years.

ATC is deeply concerned by this latest turn of events. As the Beijing Olympics draws near, we are working to expose the real situation in Tibet, including the disturbing rise in repression in eastern Tibet.

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