In an assertive move that highlights China‘s intensified grip on Tibet, a Tibetan man named Tsultrim was arrested for the second time in recent years, this time for merely possessing an image of the 14th Dalai Lama on his mobile device, a revered spiritual leader living in exile.
According to a report from RFA, Tsultrim, hailing from Tsaruma township in the Kyungchu county of Ngaba, was initially apprehended in February 2023 when local authorities discovered the contentious photograph on his phone. A subsequent trial in April by the People’s Court of Ngaba, situated in southwestern China’s Sichuan province and also referred to as Aba in Mandarin, landed him a two-year incarceration.
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China‘s stringent stance on the Tibetan region is hardly a secret, with numerous instances of the suppression of cultural and religious expressions. RFA notes the frequent grievances raised by Tibetans against Beijing, lamenting the alleged human rights violations and suspected attempts to dilute their national and cultural ethos. The information clampdown further complicates the matter, with news from the Tibetan regions taking weeks to reach global ears through exiled channels.
Tibetan sources, speaking to RFA, disclosed that Tsultrim is currently held at Yaknga Prison with stringent restrictions preventing any family or friends from visiting him. The young man, who completed his education at Northwestern Minzu University in 2016, later ventured into business on his own.
This is not Tsultrim’s first brush with Chinese law enforcement over a photograph of the exiled leader. In July 2022, he was brought in for questioning and detained for two months after sharing and saving a photo of the Dalai Lama on his phone, as per another source from the western region. Recounting the harrowing experience of his previous detention, the source told RFA, “However, during his detention, he was beaten and had gone through such a tough time that he wished death upon himself.”
As China continues to tighten its grip, Tibet‘s cultural and religious freedom’s future remains uncertain.
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