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The Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) has drawn attention to the case of Ngawang Yignyen, also known as Passang, a Tibetan Buddhist monk serving a life sentence after being convicted by Chinese authorities in connection with the 2008 Tibetan protests in Lhasa.
In a statement posted on X by its Tibet Advocacy Section under the Department of Information and International Relations on 13 June 2026, the CTA said that Ngawang Yignyen was arrested on 29 April 2008 and later sentenced to life imprisonment. The administration asserted that he was wrongfully accused of leading a group of Tibetans, including five monks, in activities related to the protests that erupted across Tibet beginning on 10 March 2008. According to the Central Tibetan Administration, Chinese authorities alleged that the group led by Passang was involved in damaging government offices, setting shops on fire, and attacking police personnel during the unrest in Lhasa. However, the CTA maintained that the charges against him were politically motivated and formed part of the extensive crackdown that followed the demonstrations. The CTA noted that Ngawang Yignyen was among only two individuals reportedly handed life sentences during the first major wave of convictions linked to the 2008 protests. Several other monks associated with the same case reportedly received prison terms ranging from 15 to 20 years, according to the administration. Describing his case as symbolic of the broader situation in Tibet following the uprising, the Central Tibetan Administration said that Ngawang Yignyen's imprisonment reflects the severity of the response by Chinese authorities after the protests. The administration further claimed that thousands of Tibetans were detained across the Tibetan plateau during the subsequent crackdown. The CTA, citing concerns raised by international human rights organisations, stated that questions had been raised regarding the fairness and transparency of the judicial proceedings involving Tibetan detainees. Rights groups have reportedly expressed concern over the lack of independent monitoring of trials and fears that legal mechanisms were being used to curb political dissent and restrict freedom of expression. In its statement, the Central Tibetan Administration reiterated that Ngawang Yignyen remains one of the prominent cases highlighted by Tibetan advocacy groups in their efforts to draw international attention to the situation of Tibetan political prisoners. (ANI)
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