Seven women from Lithang County in eastern Tibet visited Sichuan’s capital Chengdu to appeal for a retrial of Tenzin Delek Rinpoche, a Tibetan community leader who is said to be in ill health while serving a life sentence for allegedly conspiring in series of bomb explosions in 2002.
Tenzin Delek Rinpoche has repeatedly denied the allegations and no credible evidence has been proven linking him to the crime.
Venerable Loga of Sera Mey Monastery said Tenzin Delek's eldest sister Sonam Chodeon, aged 57, along with the youngest Dolkar, 47, and five other women, Aba Bumo, 63, Sobo, 37, Sochoe, 47 Gyalpo, 35, and Debo, 40, appealed for a fair retrial and demanded that he be released for treatment at a hospital. They also asked for a government response to Tenzin Delek's document which he had sent to 26 governmental offices explaining his innocence.
According to Ven. Loga, the Chinese officials coldly dismissed their appeals stating that an appropriate sentence had already been decided and denied receiving any letter from Tenzin Delek. However, they responded that a decision will be made within the next two months on whether treatment is necessary.
Tenzin Delek Rinpoche escaped death sentence after pressure from overseas human rights organizations and was sentenced to life imprisonment in 2005.
