Soktsang monastery monk released after completing two and half years’ sentence
By Lobsang Tenchoe
DHARAMSALA: July 26: A Tibetan monk from Soktsang monastery, Dzoege county in traditional Tibetan province of Amdo was released after completing two and a half years’ sentence.
Lobsang Tingzin, arrested on alleged charges of aiding a fellow monk from his monastery to self-immolate in protest against Chinese occupation of Tibet in 2013, has been released after completing his sentence on July 20, 2016 reports RFA.
“He returned to his hometown in Dzoege [in Chinese, Ruo’ergai] county to a warm reception by family members and local supporters, who greeted him with ceremonial scarves,” RFA reports an anonymous source as saying.
Tingzin, along with two other Soktsang monks – Sangye Palden and Lobsang Yonten – were apprehended by the Chinese officials for allegedly aiding 18-yr-old Konchok Sonam, a fellow monk from his monastery who self-immolated and died in a protest against Chinese rule on July 20, 2013 in Dzoege county.
Tingzin, having completed his sentence, was released from Mianyang prison, located outside Sichuan’s provincial capital Chengdu, where Palden and Yonten are still serving their sentence of five and three years respectively.
