Tibetan political prisoner released after completing four years’ sentence

By Lobsang Tenchoe

DHARAMSALA, May 1: Tsedup Kyi, a Tibetan political prisoner sentenced to four years was released after completing her sentence.

Tsedup Kyi was released by Chinese authorities form Mianyang prison on April 5.

Around two hundred local Tibetans from her home town gave her a hero’s welcome by offering traditional Tibetan ceremonial scarves, according to Mewu Kungyam, a former Tibetan political prisoner.

When Lobsang Gendun self-immolated on December 3, 2012 in Pema county of Golok in the traditional Tibetan province of Amdo, she held on to his charred body and shouted slogans such as ‘Freedom for Tibet’ and ‘His Holiness the Dalai Lama should be allowed to return to Tibet’.

The Chinese authorities quickly whisked her away and later sentenced her to four years in Mianyang prison on April 5, 2013.

Due to injuries sustained during her pretrial detention, Kyi had to spend the first year of her sentence in a prison hospital.

The Chinese authorities outrageously demanded 13,000 Chinese Yuan from as compensation for the medical expenses incurred for her treatment and further troubled her prior to her release.

Daughter of Kunchok Dora, Tsedup kyi, 32 hails from Choejema township of Ngaba county in the traditional Tibetan province of Amdo. She has a 14-year-old son named Paltsel Kyab.