New Delhi: - Speaking at a press conference held Saturday (2 February) in New Delhi, Kirti Rinpoche, the head lama of Kirti monasteries, where more than 30 of the 99 self-immolations occurred, spoke out against the recent conviction of eight Tibetans for allegedly inciting self-immolations. Kirti Rinpoche, a former minister of the Tibetan administration in exile strongly condemned the harsh prison sentences for eight innocent Tibetans in his homeland in Ngaba county, eastern Tibet. The six Tibetans were falsely accused of establishing links with outside groups and sending photographs of Tibetan self-immolators. Calling the sentences as unjustified and against international norms, Kirti Rinpoche said, the Chinese government is playing with the lives of innocent Tibetans and the world community should investigate what really is going on in Tibet. He said, the eight Tibetans convicted are innocent, adding that the Chinese government have arrested them only because they are relatives or friends with the Tibetan self-immolators. Kirti Rinpoche denied the charges leveled against the Tibetans and appealed the world media and international monitors to support their case and plead for justice. Eight Tibetans including Lobsang Tsering who was given a death sentence with a two year reprieve, were pronounced with varying prison terms by two Chinese courts in Ngaba and Labrang on 31 January 2013. When Rinpoche response to whyy are these self-immolation incidents concentrated in Ngaba ...

• published: 03 Feb 2013
• views: 8
• author: Tibet Post