Two Tibetan businessmen convicted of "political activities" against occupation
Dharamsala (AsiaNews) - The Court of Appeals of the people of Lhoka sentenced two Tibetan businessmen, Sonam Bhagdro and Tashi Topgyal to 15 years and five years respectively in prison. The office of Public Security Lhoka (PSB) had arrested the two businessmen in August 2009 on suspicion they were engaged in political activities. Since their arrest, and until they appeared in court, nothing was known of the whereabouts, nor there conditions of detention.
Sonam Bhagdro was born in 1965 in Jhorya Township, Tsona County. After completing his Middle School, he joined the Communist Party of the County. Through his business ventures, he has been helping in the education of students, medical expenses and expenses of the county monastery. He was an exemplary businessman in the county loved by the people. He was awarded the Exemplary Citizen of the County. 30-year-old Tashi Topgyal was also born in Jhorya Township, Tsona County. He lives with his wife and child doing business for livelihood
The last political prison terms were handed down by the Court of Aba (Ngaba in Tibetan) on Oct. 28 against three well-known writers. Jangtse Donkho, Buddha and Kalsang Jinpa, arrested in the summer, were punished because they considered guilty of "inciting activities to divide the nation." They had written articles in the local Tibetan-language newspaper "Shar Dungri" (Eastern Mountain snow) on the Tibet protests took place in 2008. The three accused declared themselves innocent. Buddha spoke in fluent Chinese saying that articles similar to those covered by the prosecution were also published in Han Chinese newspapers, so that their sentencing would be "an inequality between citizens of different nationalities although of the same country."
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