Translated by Tashi Namgyal
On 1 February 2024, Tibetan monk Rinchen Tsultrim was released to his residence while under restrictions.
Rinchen Tsultrim, a monk of Nangshik monastery from Ngaba county, was released after completing four and a half years of prison. He was imprisoned in Mianyang Prison near the city of Chengdu in 2019 on charges of inciting separatism and causing social unrest.
A Tibetan, on the condition of remaining anonymous, told Tibet Times that on 1 February, around 5 am, Monk Rinchen was released from prison and arrived at his residence in Kashul Village. The source added that it is challenging to discuss Rinchen’s health condition and other details while he is still under restrictions.
Another Tibetan living in exile who also requested anonymity told Tibet Times, “The Chinese government searched Rinchen’s WeChat account and accused him of talking about the Tibet issues with Tibetans of the diaspora. Therefore, Rinchen and his younger brother, Norbu Tsering, were arrested twice, and Rinchen’s WeChat account was suspended. In 2019, it came to light that Rinchen’s telephone conversation with a Tibetan outside of Tibet had been monitored and recorded for two years by the Chinese government. Some of the sensitive topics that were discussed in these conversations included the birthday of the 11th Panchen Lama, whom the Chinese government kidnaped at the age of six.
The Chinese government also accused Rinchen of distributing books he received through post offices from abroad to numerous places in Tibet and posting various writings about Tibetan language preservation and political issues on his website entitled ‘Skepticism on Tibet,’ which was also blocked. Similarly, Rinchen’s elder sister, Kunsang Dolma, who lives in India, posted photos she took during education seminars on WeChat. Still, the Chinese authorities asserted that it is related to politics.
