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              Monk Imprisoned for Hoisting Tibetan Flags Released

   by VOA News

   Authorities in southwestern China's Sichuan province have released a
   Tibetan monk from prison after he served a four-year sentence for
   pulling down a Chinese flag and scattering leaflets calling for Tibetan
   freedom, Tibetan sources said.

   Sonam Gonpo, 26, a monk at the Dza Wonpo monastery, returned to his
   home in Sershul (in Chinese, Shiqu) county in the Kardze (Ganzi)
   Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture on March 12, a Tibetan living in India
   told RFA's Tibetan Service.

   "His current state of health remains unknown," said RFA's source, Jampa
   Yonten, citing contacts in the region.

   News of Gonpo's release was briefly delayed from reaching outside
   contacts because of strict communications clampdowns imposed by Chinese
   authorities in the area.

   "In 2012, Sonam Gonpo pulled down the Chinese national flag at a local
   school and hoisted the Tibetan national flag in its place," Yonten
   said. "China later sentenced him to four years in prison on the charge
   of pulling down the flag and for distributing leaflets."

   A companion, Sonam Choedar, was detained at the same time and has also
   completed his sentence, but has not yet been released, Yonten said.

   Both men initially were held for nine months in secret with no word
   given to their family members, and were sentenced Sept. 11, 2013, the
   Dharamsala-based Tibetan Center for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD)
   said in a March 23 statement.

   "The reason for the arrest of Sonam Gonpo [and Sonam Choedar] was in
   February 2012," said TCHRD director, Tsering Tsomo. The area around
   Gonpo's native Wonpo Township has been held under tight restrictions
   ever since protests challenging Beijing's rule swept Tibetan areas of
   China in 2008, he added.

   "Monks at Wonpo monastery had steadfastly refused to hoist Chinese
   flags on their monastery, and the ensuing crackdown led to scores of
   arbitrary detentions, arrests and unlawful searches of Tibetan homes by
   Chinese security personnel."

   According to VOA's Tibetan Service, another Tibetan monk, Khomatsang
   Jigme, 45, of Jolep village in Ngaba, was released from Mein-Yang
   prison in Sichuan Province on March 12.

   Reported by Sonam Wangdu for [1]RFA's Tibetan Service. Translated by
   Dorjee Damdul. Written in English by Richard Finney. This report was
   produced in collaboration with [2]VOA's Tibetan Service.
     __________________________________________________________________

   [3]http://www.voanews.com/content/monk-released-imprisoned-hoisting-tib
   etan-flag/3253326.html

References

   1. http://www.rfa.org/tibetan/
   2. http://www.voatibetanenglish.com/
   3. http://www.voanews.com/content/monk-released-imprisoned-hoisting-tibetan-flag/3253326.html