23. Dec 2009
Phurbu Tsering Rinpoche sentenced to eight years, six months in jail
(TCHRD) The Kardze (Chin: Ganzi) Intermediate People's Court in Dartsedo (Chin: Kangding) on 23 December 2009 sentenced Tibetan lama Tulku Phurbu Tsering Rinpoche to eight years and six months in prison, according to the Tibetan Centre for Human Rights and Democracy (TCHRD). The two Beijing based defence lawyers who earlier represented Phurbu Tsering were not in attendance during the sentencing but TCHRD sources confirmed that a new lawyer was present in court. Phurbu Tsering is currently believed to be detained at Dartsedo Public Security Bureau (PSB) Detention Centre. Tulku Phurbu Tsering Rinpoche, 52, is a highly regarded reincarnated lama from Tehor Kardze monastery in Kardze county, Kardze TAP, Sichuan province. He is also the chief spiritual preceptor and head of the Pangri and Yatseg nunneries in Kardze. There was no information on Tulku Phurbu Tsering from his arrest in 2008 until news of his trial emerged on 21 April 2009 when one of his Beijing-based lawyers, Li Fangping said in an interview with the Associated Press (AP) that Tulku had been charged with illegally occupying government land and possessing weapons.