China commutes Tibetan monk's death sentence to life

Asian Political News, Jan 31, 2005

BEIJING, Jan. 26 Kyodo

A Chinese court on Wednesday commuted the death sentence for a Tibetan monk who was convicted of a series of bombings to life imprisonment, according to the official Xinhua News Agency.

The case of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, who is now in prison in China's southwestern Sichuan Province, had triggered protests by activists and calls for a fair trail from the United States.

The monk was convicted two years ago and sentenced to death, with a two-year reprieve. The reprieve expired Wednesday.

Xinhua said the Higher People's Court of Sichuan Province commuted the sentence because the monk ''did not intentionally violate the relevant law specifications'' during the reprieve. The report did not say what those legal specifications were.

Tibet activists say the monk denied the charges. But Chinese authorities say he confessed to the bombings.

The monk was convicted of the crime together with fellow Tibetan Lobsang Dhondup, who was executed on Jan. 26, 2003.

Tenzin Delek runs a monastery in the Kardze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan Province. He is seen locally as a reincarnated monk.

The U.S. government had raised Tenzin Delek's case with the Chinese government, urging it to give the monk a fair hearing.

China is sensitive about separatist activities in the western part of the country, and keeps a watch over Tibetan and Uyghur Muslim religious leaders.