Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, Nov. 2: Losel, a monk from Sera Monastery, has reportedly died in Chinese detention due to severe beatings, according to the Dharamshala-based Tibetan media outlet Tibet Times.
Arrested in May on allegations of gathering and sharing information about conditions in Tibet with contacts abroad, Losel was detained by Chinese authorities and subjected to brutal beatings that left him critically ill. Despite his deteriorating condition, authorities reportedly denied him medical care, leading to his death within the detention facility.
A source inside Tibet informed TT that Losel’s family was unaware of his detention location or his condition until Chinese police handed over his body in Lhasa on October 21.
Losel, aged 38, hailed from Tsoto Village in the Phenpo area of Lhasa. Known as Kalden before ordination, he had joined Sera Monastery as a child, dedicating his life to monastic studies at one of the largest and most historic monasteries in Lhasa.
Deaths in detention are alarmingly common in Tibet under China’s authoritarian rule, where kangaroo courts, sham trials, and custodial deaths occur with impunity against Tibetans who dare to voice dissent or advocate for rights nominally protected under the Chinese constitution.
The latest reports of Tibetan deaths in custody, including Losel’s, highlight grave concerns over persistent mistreatment and abuse in detention centers across Tibet. Earlier this year, Tsedon, a young Tibetan woman from Nyemo County, died in detention following her arrest in December 2023. Her family was notified of her death a month and a half later but was denied the chance to reclaim her body.
