(TibetanReview.net, Jun30’24) – A Tibetan writer jailed by China for alleged separatism and disturbing social order after he wrote articles claimed to threaten national security and unity has been taken to hospital in an eastern Tibetan territory in Sichuan province, reported the Tibetan service of rfa.org Jun 28, citing two Tibetan sources who in turn have cited Chinese authorities.
Authorities said Thupten Lodoe, in his thirties, is receiving medical treatment, but they did not disclose his illness or the hospital’s location, the sources have said.
Known by his penname Sabuche, Lodoe hails from Sershul county (Chinese: Shiqu) in the province’s Kardze (Ganzi) prefecture, was arrested in Oct 2021. After being detained for six months, he was tried and jailed for four years and five months in Jun 2022 for writing articles which were alleged to pose a threat to national security and unity.
He was found guilty of “inciting separatism” and “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” according to a freetibet.orgreport Jun 28, citing its research partner Tibet Watch.
Although the police arrested him on suspicion of writing posts of political nature on social media websites Weibo and QQ, Lodoe is also beloved for his short stories and essays, which are widely read inside Tibet and posted on various Tibetan language websites and literature platforms.
Lodoe is learnt to be serving his prison sentence in Dartsedo (Kangding), where he has endured harsh conditions, including hard labour, inadequate food and poor living conditions, the rfa.org sources have said, requesting anonymity for safety reasons.
After being sentenced, Lodoe’s family was stated to have been harassed by Chinese authorities, with his two children being barred from attending school.
Lodoe studied at a school established by the Panchen Lama – apparently the late 10th, and was stated to be fluent in Tibetan, Chinese and English.
He reportedly rejected a Chinese government job offer and instead chose to be an independent author, and wrote extensively on Tibetan language. He was stated to have translated into Tibetan the American national anthem and poems by an ancient Persian poet.
However, the freetibet.org report said Lodoe initially taught Tibetan language classes at Sershul County Middle School for years until he quit due to Chinese government’s repression.
The rfa.org report said Chinese police previously warned Lodoe to stop writing such articles, but he ignored them.
Lodoe’s imprisonment is part of China’s general crackdown on Tibetan writers, intellectuals and cultural figures. It entails arbitrary arrest and imprisoned at undisclosed locations, usually for long periods. Most were arrested after sharing their views or information about conditions in ethnic Tibetan areas under Chinese government rule, the report said.