Two Tibetans have been executed for inciting riots in Lhasa last year, a Chinese government spokesman confirmed yesterday. They are the first known executions following the violence that erupted last March in Tibet's capital.
The two Tibetans, Lobsang Gyaltsen and Loyak (who went by one name), were sentenced to death in April related to arson in the first days of violent demonstrations that swept through Lhasa. Ma Zhaoxu, China's foreign ministry spokesman, confirmed the executions at a press conference in Beijing.
The men are believed to have been executed last week in Lhasa. Lobsang Gyaltsen was sentenced to death on charges of setting fire to two shops, and Loyak was found guilty of setting fire to a motorcycle dealership.
The International Campaign for Tibet, an independent organisation that campaigns for Tibetan independence, said about 150 other Tibetans have been convicted for crimes related to the riots. A spokesperson from the Chinese Embassy in London refused to go into the details of other Tibetans detained but said of the two executed: “There is no doubt that they committed a serious crime. The trial proceeded according to Chinese law.”
However, Ivan Lewis, the UK Foreign Office Minister, condemned the executions last Friday, citing concerns about lack of due process. “We respect China's right to bring those responsible for the violence in Tibet last year to justice. But the UK opposes the death penalty in all circumstances, and we have consistently raised our concerns about lack of due process in these cases in particular.”
Chinese sources said trials began in the Intermediate People's court in Lhasa and were appealed twice, ending with a final decision by the Supreme People's Court to uphold the death sentence.
The violent protests in Lhasa first began as peaceful demonstrations led by Buddhist monks against Chinese rule on the eve of the anniversary of the 1959 Tibetan uprising. They turned violent after a Chinese crackdown.
Last week, 500 Tibetans, mostly Buddhist monks and nuns, marched with candles through Dharamsala in north India, where the Tibetan government-in-exile is based.
The monks denounced what they claimed were executions of four Tibetans for their involvement in last year's protests.
