From the Central Tibetan Administration
The family of the four Tibetans who were given death sentence and one who was sentenced to life imprisonment by a Chinese court for taking part in last year’s protests in Tibet are deeply concerned as their whereabouts remain unknown since the verdict was announced on 8 April.

The Lhasa People’s Intermediate Court announced death sentence for Lobsang Gyaltsen, aged 27; Kangtsug, 22; Loyak (right), 25, while 27-year-old Tenzin Phuntsok alias Tenzin was given death sentence with a two-year reprieve.

A fifth man named Dawa Sangpo, aged 30, son of Mr Tenzin was a painter and mud sculptor by profession. The Public Security Bureau of Taktse County took him into custody for 15 days without any charges a few days before the 10 March protests. He was later given life term imprisonment over his alleged role in the March protests. He has a 16-year-old son, who is living his with mother named Lhakpa.

China’s law makes it mandatory for the Intermediate Courts to refer the cases with death sentence to the Supreme People’s Court within six weeks of delivering the judgment. But there has been no information on the whereabouts of the five Tibetans as the stipulated duration expired on Thursday, 21 May.

China’s state media reported that the Chinese government conducted open trials for the five Tibetans. However, their family members said that they have no such information on the trials and that they were denied the right of legal representation to defend their case.

Similarly, the Lhasa People’s Intermediate Court delivered death sentences to two Tibetan women and life imprisonment to another woman on 21 April. The family members deeply regret that the girls were not given a fair and open trial and were coerced to accept their guilt.

Penkyi, of Sakya County, received a suspended death penalty for starting fires in two downtown clothing shops on 14 March last year, an unnamed spokesman from the Lhasa Municipal Intermediate People’s Court was quoted as saying by the Tibet Daily. She is 21-year-old and is from Norbu village, Dogra township in Sakya County.

She was convicted for allegedly setting a blaze in Hongyu Trousers on the Qingnian road, which left the shop owner Zuo Rencun dead, the spokesman said.

The court has also handed harsh jail terms to other Tibetans for setting fires at Yishon clothing store on the East Beijing Road in Lhasa. Another Tibetan also named Penkyi of Nyemo County, was sentenced to life imprisonment and Chime Lhamo, aged 20, was jailed for 10 years, the spokesman said. Penkyi, aged 23, is from Thantoe village, Margkyang township in Nyemo County.

The Central Tibetan Administration and human rights groups have expressed their strong condemnation and deep concern over the arbitrary sentences handed out to the Tibetans.