Tibet: Monk Leaves Prison Paralyzed
Severely tortured Tibetan Monk was released from prison, after guards ascertained his limited chances of recovery.
Below is an article published by Phayul
Torture and indiscriminate beatings by Chinese prison guards has maimed the body of a Tibetan monk, causing waist-down paralysis.
Lobsang Khedup, 39, a monk from the Kirti monastery was arrested last year and given a three-year prison term. He was released from the Mein-Yang prison after the prison guards ascertained that Lobsang Khedup had minimal chances of recovery.
Lobsang Khedup along with Lobsang Gyatso, both Kirti monks, were sentenced to three years in prison on July 15 last year by a Chinese court in eastern Tibet.
The monks were held incommunicado for nearly two months before they were presented before the court.
Lobsang Khedup and Lobsang Gyatso, along with many other monks, had resisted the arrest of their fellow monks and told the Chinese authorities that ‘if you are going to arrest our monks then you must arrest all of us’.
Lobsang Khedup’s condition is being described as serious by sources in exile.
“He is paralysed waist-down and can speak only very little,” a release by the exile base of Kirti monastery in Dharamshala said today.
The release also noted that since Lobsang Khedup’s arrival at the Kirti monastery on January 22, scores of Tibetans have been visiting to pay their respects and wish him recovery.
Last month, a Tibetan former political prisoner passed away as a result of torture suffered in Chinese detention. Norla Ashagtsang succumbed to his injuries sustained during prolonged torture sessions in Lhasa just weeks after his release on medical parole.
Norlha Ashagtsang was arrested on June 27, 2009 for protesting against the arrest of two Tibetans, Gyurmey Gonpo and Gyatsang Dorje, for taking part in a non co-operation movement against the Chinese government in Derge town.
Repeated medical check ups after his release failed to save Norlha Ashagtsang who passed away on December 27, 2011 in a hospital in Lhasa.
London based Free Tibet notes that in Tibet “it is common practice for seriously or terminally injured prisoners to be released in order to reduce the number of deaths in detention”.
