China’s oppression of Tibetans has drastically increased over the years. In yet another incident, a court in China has sentenced two Tibetans to prison, after they composed, sang and circulated a song praising Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama. They have been charged for alleged involvement in “state subversion” and “leaking state secrets”.
Two Tibetan musicians, Khando Tsetan and Tsego were sentenced to seven years and three years in prison respectively by a Chinese court in north-eastern Tibet in July this year. They were arrested in early July in the village of Gonshu Hongor in Zeku County. Along with the two, an identified girl from the same region was also arrested for sharing the song on social media, sources said.
According to reports, Tsetan was handed a total of seven years prison term including five years for the ‘subversion of state’ and an additional two years for ‘leaking state secrets’. This is not the first time that Tsetan has been detained. He was previously been detained and imprisoned for two years in late 2012. He had then taken part in a Tibetan student protest in 2010, following which he was arrested and imprisoned. Since then, he has constantly been subjected to surveillance and monitoring by Chinese authorities for four years. Tsetan was also barred from pursuing further studies.
Tibetans have been long punished by Chinese authorities for hailing their spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama. In the year 2017 and in 2013, China has similarly penalised Tibetan musicians, lyricists for composing, singing and circulating songs in the praise of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
Tibetans suffering in the hands of the Chinese regime have long been raising their voice against the communist nation’s forceful occupation of their homeland. After the Galwan valley standoff between India and China, many Tibetan community members had held protests condemning China’s expansionist efforts and constant attempts to subvert neighbouring nations.
After slamming China for its expansionist policies and issuing a warning to Nepal regarding Chinese combativeness, Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) has now asked the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to hold a special session on human right violations by China in Tibet and other regions under it. CTA said that China has for decades tortured the Tibetans, and the act of cruelties which China has been imparting on the Tibetans “do not fall short of being categorised as cultural genocide”.
