By Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, Aug 4: Kunchok Nyima, a monk from Drepung Monastery, has been missing for 17 years following his arrest by Chinese authorities on April 11, 2008, according to Radio Free Asia (RFA). His whereabouts currently remain unknown. He was detained for his alleged involvement in a peaceful protest by the monks of Drepung Monastery in 2008.
According to the report, the Lhasa Intermediate People’s Court sentenced Kunchok Nyima to 20 years in prison. Despite repeated inquiries from his family members and villagers, authorities have consistently refused to disclose any information regarding his whereabouts or condition, maintaining strict secrecy about his status.
A source within Tibet reported that over two years after Kunchok Nyima’s disappearance, he was sentenced to prison in June 2010. Despite efforts by his family and relatives in Dzoge County, who have connections with the authorities, to inquire about his status, they were eventually told that he had been transferred to Lhasa and was no longer under the jurisdiction of Dzoge County. The authorities expressed that they had no further options in the matter.
Kunchok Nyima originally hailed from Thebo in Amdo (Ch. Qinghai). He travelled to central Tibet for his studies and subsequently joined Drepung Gomang Monastery. There, he became a teacher and attracted numerous students from all three provinces of Tibet.
On March 10, 2008, approximately 300-400 monks from Drepung Monastery held a peaceful protest on Barkhor Street to commemorate the 49th anniversary of the Tibetan National Uprising against China’s illegal invasion of Tibet. Reports indicate that the monastery was subsequently surrounded by local military and police forces, and the monks were subjected to beatings and tear gas. Over 50 monks were arrested during the incident, according to reports.
