Photo: RFA
Lodoe Gyatso, also known as Sogkar Lodoe, who was reported missing after his solo protest in front of the Potala Palace in Lhasa on January 28, is now known to be held in a Chinese prison in Sog County in Tibet’s Nagchu prefecture – his hometown.
During his protest, Gyatso called for the return of HH the Dalai Lama, demilitarisation of Tibet, and transformation of Tibet into a “zone of peace”.
Radio Free Asia (RFA) Tibetan service reports that he has already served many years in prison. Gyatso has been jailed twice in the past, once for homicide and then again for political activism.
He was first arrested in 1991 for killing a man in a fight and sentenced to 15 years, but was held for 21 years because of his political activism while in prison. He was eventually released in May 2013 under police supervision. Following his release, he continued to criticise the Beijing government for its “oppressive policies” in some of the eastern counties of Tibet’s Nagchu prefecture, drawing attention to China’s treatment of Tibetan people “that was contrary to national and international standards of law”. RFA’s source spoke to them on condition of anonymity.
Gyatso also voiced his disapproval of his local Chinese authorities insistence that Tibetans wear traditional clothing lined with fur – this runs contrary to the Tibetans’ religious beliefs as most have denounced wearing animal furs following His Holiness the Dalai Lama’s plea that people stop.
He was arrested again after his realease in 2013 and was beaten and tortured while in detention. He was finally released in July 2016. He is reported to have promised his fellow inmates that he would stage a protest in Lhasa, the capital city of Tibet after being freed.
Print
Email