China sentences Tibetan writer to 10-year prison for his loyalty to Dalai Lama
Dec 12, 2021
Beijing [ China], December 12 : A Chinese court in Tibet has given a 10-year prison term to Tibetan writer and educator Go Sherab Gyatso known for expressing loyalty to exiled spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, with the sentence handed down in a secret trial, according to Radio Free Asia (RFA).
Earlier, Go Sherab Gyatso had written books and articles describing restrictions on Tibetans living under Chinese rule.
Further, Go Sherab Gyatso, a 46-year-old monk at Kirti monastery in Sichuan's Ngaba (in Chinese, Aba) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, was taken into custody on unknown charges by State Security agents on Oct. 26, 2020 in Sichuan's capital Chengdu.
Meanwhile, Gyatso will be moved soon to a prison near Tibet's regional capital Lhasa, sources close to Gyatso said. No details are available regarding the charges on which he was convicted, according to RFA.
Speaking to RFA, a Tibetan scholar living in exile described Gyatso - who had written books and articles describing restrictions on freedom of expression under Chinese rule - as an "open-minded individual who advocates the preservation of Tibetan language, religion and culture."
"It's sad news to hear about his 10-year sentence on Human Rights Day, and I want to call on the United Nations, governments around the world, and the international community to look into this matter immediately," he added.
Earlier, the Chinese government in October responded to a July 16 letter from U.N. human rights experts asking about Gyatso's case, telling them that Gyatso had been placed in criminal detention "in accordance with the law on suspicion of inciting secession."
